Category Archives: Recipes

Afro-Peruvian Fare-Starters: Anticuchos

By gino | Published: 2 Feb
(picture by Ricardo Diaz)

Anticucho is more than a skewer with marinated meat. It is a tradition. It brings memories of cold nights outside football stadiums, sometimes even more memorable than the match itself. It’s something you ate as a child without questioning what it was made of. It’s yet another example of the culinary amalgamation of cultures, from pre-Inca Peru via Africa. It’s that unique smoky smell of cumin and chilli that emanates from old coal grills. Perhaps more importantly, it is the main source of income for many legendary anticucho ladies, also known as anticucheras, who set up their carts every night at eight in the same street corner, and have managed to raise families and send their kids to university through hard work and brilliant food – representing the Peruvian vision of progress better than anyone.
The word ‘Anticucho’ derives from the Quechua – ‘Anti’ meaning Andes and ‘Uchu’ meaning chilli. It is thought that pre-Inca cultures marinated llama meat with chilli sauce, but the first recipe containing the concept of dicing marinated beef sirloin in small pieces and piercing them with a skewer is found in a 1776 letter addressed to Doña Josepha de Escurrechea y Ondusgoytia, Countess of Otavi. Slowly making it’s way down aristocratic tables, beef heart Anticucho became the most popular variant, being further shaped by the Afro-Peruvian community who introduced entrails (liver, guts, you name it) to the grill. Now, you can squirm all you like at the thought of eating beef heart, but it’s actually very tasty, packed with proteins and contains the unique supernutrient CoQ10, which ironically enough, is good for your own heart.

If you Google ‘beef heart’, chances are you will only get links related to the recently deceased Captain Beefheart. The best way would be to talk your butcher into selling you some, making it obvious that you won’t use it in some sort of satanic ritual. Or you could also replace the heart with rump steak, chicken, or any kind of meat that can be diced (restaurants in Lima now offer octopus anticucho, for instance). Bear in mind that if you do manage to find the elusive beef heart, you’ll need to take out the fat and veins in what can be a very bloody and messy task. Let’s concentrate in the most important part, the marinade sauce, for this you’ll need:

  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed.
  • 1/2 cup of white vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • Yellow chilli (as always, you can find it here, here and here)
  • Salt and pepper

1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl, dip the meat in it and let it marinade overnight.
2. Pierce the meat with a skewer, put it on a grill and use a brush to keep using the marinade even while it’s cooking. You can garnish it with corn and potatoes cut in halves.
3. That’s it! Wow, that was easy. Now you have a new barbecue recipe full of history and tradition in no time.

Posted in Recipes | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Afro-Peruvian Fare-Starters: Green Tamales

By gino | Published: 2 Feb

Tamales are a Latin American classic. From Mexico to Argentina, almost every Spanish speaking country has its own variant with local recipes that can be radically different from one another. As you would perhaps expect, Peruvian tamales are on a class of their own, with an ample variety of tastes that range from the sweet Andean ‘Umita’ to the Amazonian rice-based Juane. Such is the popularity of tamales in Peru that there are even classic
Afro-Peruvian songs about them:
youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9MKFbm7Y5s

They can be often eaten as a garnish for a stew (such as seco), but are more often found as a starter dish of their own, served with ‘salsa criolla’ (an onion salad of sorts) and as a typical staple of a big Sunday breakfast. Tamales from the coast usually have a stuffing of beef, pork or chicken, while the most popular version is the ‘Tamal verde’, made with coriander. Alternatively, they can be stuffed with artichoke to create one of the few vegetarian-friendly Peruvian dishes. Be sure to check soon for our own recipe of Peruvian tamales.

The best green tamale comes from the northern city of Piura, the third South American city founded by the Spanish conquerors, also known as ‘the city of eternal heat’. Well, heat is optional for this recipe. What isn’t optional is the elusive ‘choclo’ (a maize of many varieties), the main ingredient of the tamale, without whom this recipe would be almost impossible. For 8 tamales we need:

  • 8 big corns (alternatively you can use corn flour, but the taste will be extremely different)
  • 1 medium sized onion chopped into small cubes
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • Yellow chili (which you can buy here, here and here, for this recipe it’s better to have the pre-made sauce)
  • Salt and pepper
  • 4oz (1 cup) of liquidized Coriander
  • 8 Banana leaves
  • 8 seedless black olivescut into fours
  • 2 hard boiled eggs cut into fours
  • * Optional: 130g of chicken or pork meat.

For the ‘salsa criolla’ garnish (a type of onion salad), we will need:

  • 2 medium-sized red onions
  • Lemon
  • Parsley
  • Vegetable oil
  • Salt and pepper

1. Grate the corn kernels and blend them using a food processor. You can add a bit of water if it gets too dry.
2. *if using meat, fry it on a pan with butter and chop it into cubes.
3. Fry the onion and the garlic. Add a bit of chili or chili paste.
4. Add the hard boiled eggs and black olives to the mix
5. Quickly add the corn blend and the coriander, let the flavours mix on medium heat until the mixture becomes thick. You can always add water if it’s too consistent.
6. Now place the corn mixture into a banana leaf (make sure it’s not too full). If using meat, place it in the middle.
7. Close the banana leaf as you would with a small parcel. You can tie it with a strip of the same leaf or even rope!
8. Boil water in a large saucepan and carefully place the tamales. Let them boil for 20 minutes.
9. It’s traditional to garnish tamales with ‘salsa criolla’. Just cut red onions in thin slices and put them in a bowl. Add salt, pepper, lemon, chopped parsley and enjoy!

Posted in Recipes | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Andean Food-Mains: Quinoa Stew

By gino | Published: 2 Feb
What is the first thing you associate with the word ‘quinoa’? Packed salads? the health food section of your local supermarket? Devoted vegetarians? All of the above?
You have probably seen this Andean produce slowly moving away from its cult following in recent years; appearing as special guest in several soups and starter recipes; and establishing itself as a middle class household name. And you might even have some in the back of your cupboards after seeing the health aspects of it promoted by the likes of Gillian McKeith (when she’s not stuck in a jungle!). But, really, What is quinoa? Is it a cereal? a condiment? A hip, alternative couscous?
Truth be told, nobody is quite sure. Quinoa (also known to the Incas as chisaya mama – the mother of all grains) has been hanging around the Andes for approximately 5000 years, feeding its people with more than 3000 varieties to choose from, but it remains a mysterious grain. Its crops have been referred to as a ‘pseudo cereal’, as it is not a member of the grass family (their loss!). But it’s exactly this lack of classification which has made it so versatile. From pasta to juice, quinoa has maintained its popularity as an extremely nutritious element of Andean life throughout the years, but its acceptance in urban cities is only a recent phenomenon, being rediscovered by a generation of avant-garde chefs to became one of the leading stars of the Neo-Andean cuisine movement.

Move over couscous, here comes the queen of versatility. This is an incredibly simple and quick way of making quinoa which can be served as a starter or as a light main dish. For 3 to 4 portions you will need:

  • 250g of quinoa
  • 1 small red onion or shallot
  • Olive oil
  • A few slices of haloumi cheese
  • Fresh mint

Instructions:
1. Dice the onion in small cubes.
2. Heat a dash of olive oil in a small saucepan, add the onion and cook for 3 minutes in medium heat.
3. Add the quinoa (some people like to rinse it with cold water before cooking it, this is optional), make sure it mixes well with the onions.
4. Pour 1 1/2 cup of boiling water, cover and let it cook for 5 minutes.
5. Turn the heat down to low and stir, add more boiling water if needed.
6. You’ll know that the quinoa is ready when it has separated into little swirls, if it hasn’t just keep stirring/adding water. Just like when making a risotto, the consistency depends on how you like it, just make sure it isn’t too sticky/undercooked.
7. Ready to serve? Garnish it with some fresh mint and haloumi cheese (fried or fresh, your choice).
So there you have it, loads of protein, tons of essential amino acids, a bunch of ysine, threonin, methionin, argnin, histidin, fibre, complex carbohydrates, calcium, phosphorus, iron and vitamins B and E… all in one small serving. Oh! and it also tastes pretty good.

Posted in Recipes | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Comida Criolla-Desserts: Suspiro a la Limena

By gino | Published: 2 Feb
Perhaps the most poetic dessert in the world, with an untranslatable title that could be interpreted as “Sigh of a Limenian” or its derivative Suspiro a la Limeña as “Sigh a la Limenian”. Either way, its connotations of sweetness and delicacy are perfectly suited to the mixture of Dulce de Leche (known in Peru as ‘manjar blanco’) and meringue, which make this the most palatable and alluring dessert in Peruvian cuisine.
The dessert itself existed since the early 1800′s, resembling the many moor-derived Spanish sweets brought by the conquest. But it wasn’t until the early 20th century, when poet José Gálvez Barrenechea and his wife Amparo Ayarez re-christened it, that it would gain a whole different meaning. Suspiro a la Limeña looks spectacular, but its taste is far beyond imagination. However, it should be approached with caution, as it can so delicately intense than having more than one portion could result in an overdose of sweetness. Tempted? Sigh no more and check back soon for our own recipe.

If you love sweets, this is your holy grail, your nirvana, your sugary Olympus. If you don’t love sweets, please cover your eyes, reading this recipe might make you feel a bit uncomfortable. Bear in mind this is going to take a while. For 5 servings, you’ll need:

  • 4 small eggs
  • 1 cup of white sugar
  • 1 cup of port wine
  • 1 can (405g) of condensed (sweet) milk
  • 1 can (405g) of evaporated milk
  • 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract

1. Put a saucepan on low heat, add both milks and let them boil until they caramelise and become ‘manjarblanco’. We are looking for this kind of texture. This might take a long time, but it’s something that can’t be replaced with pre-made dulce de leche.
2. Separate the yolks from the whites of the eggs.
3. Take the saucepan out of the hob and add the yolks and vanilla extract.
4. Bring the saucepan back to the hob for about five minutes.
5. Grab another saucepan and put it on medium heat. Add the port wine and sugar, what we are trying to create here is some kind of syrup, so keep the saucepan hot until the sugar disolves.
6. Whisk the egg whites and add the syrup. Keep whisking until it cools. Once it does, we have our meringue ready to serve.
7. Serve the brown manjarblanco first and the white meringue on top. Sprinkle some ground cinnamon on top, and we’re done!

Posted in Recipes | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Comida Criolla-Desserts: Picarones

By gino | Published: 2 Feb
(picture by Jennifer Yin)

Peruvian cuisine isn’t just about raw fish, chilli stews and exotic meats. Our desserts are also delicious examples of how European influences meet with local ingredients to create traditional dishes that have remained popular for more than two hundred years. If semantics is your thing, you might have noticed the similarity between the word ‘picarones’ and ‘picaresque’. Well, that’s close enough to what it means, a ‘picaron’ is a crafty, naughty, cheeky person. You know, the joker type who feeds on double entendres and unsuccessfully flirts with members of the opposite sex. Well, if Picaron the dessert was a person, it would probably have the same qualities, although certainly irresistible to palates.
While most desserts are usually eaten after lunch, Picarones are the exception to the rule. The density of these pumpkin-based rings and the sweetness of the ‘Chancaca‘ honey that’s poured over them would be a bite too far for even the most voracious foodie. You’re most likely to find Picarones served as a tea time snack, and much like Anticuchos, the women who make them (‘picaroneras’) play a vital role in keeping Peruvian tradition alive.
Picarones have been a part of Peruvian tradition since the early days of the Spanish conquest, and were once upon a time known as buñuelos (themselves a typical Spanish doughnut). Slowly making their way down the class system, they became particularly popular during the month of October, as the Lord of Miracles made his way through the streets of old Lima – a tradition which even now after three hundred years, remains immensely relevant for the fervent Christian community and those with a taste for wonderful desserts and Anticuchos.
The recipe is hard to achieve and extremely difficult to master, but we will do our best to show you a simple way of making Picarones. Get your pumpkin flour ready and check back soon!

A small warning before starting: This will be a bit difficult. Difficult and messy. Very very messy. But there’s little doubt that the final product is worth more than a couple of frustrating hours.
OK! Now that we have your attention, let’s get the ingredients. For the dough we will need:

  • 1/2 kg (about 1 pound) of peeled yellow pumpkin
  • 1/2 kg of peeled sweet potatoes
  • 1 tablespoon of aniseed
  • 1/2 kg of flour
  • 4 tablespoons of white sugar
  • 1/4 cup of active dried yeast

For the honey syrup we would normally use ‘chancaca’ (a solid mixture of sugar and honey) but as a substitute we will use:

  • 300g of Honey
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 orange cut in half

Now, here comes the difficult bit.
1. Chop the (peeled) pumpkin and sweet potatoes in little squares and boil them with the tablespoon of aniseed in hot water until they start to dissolve. What we want to create is some sort of puree that will eventually become part of the dough.
2. In a big bowl, mix the yeast with a cup of warm (but not boiling) water. Add four tablespoons of sugar, lightly mixing with a whisk. Leave the yeast fermenting for fifteen minutes.
3. In another bowl, use a sieve to strain the pumpkin and potato puree, making sure the mixture remains as dry as possible.
4. Now mix the yeast and the puree with a whisk, beating as fast as you can. Keep beating. Add the flour while beating. Keep beating. Beat a little more. Beat beat beat beat. If the dough becomes both soft and elastic then stop beating. If not, keep beating. Beat a little more. Bear in mind that we don’t want the mixture to be sticky. Beat once again, we’re almost there! Beat beat beat. OK, now that you’ve got your dough, stop beating and rest your arms for an hour.
5. Yes, it takes an hour for the dough to double its volume. Why don’t we start making the honey syrup in the meantime?
6. This is easy, just heat the honey in a small pot with the cinnamon stick, squeeze the orange juice and put the rind in. Bring the syrup to a boil and let it simmer for 15 minutes until the mixture thickens. Once you have a consistency you are pleased with, remove the cinnamon stick and the orange rind.
7. Now that an hour has passed since you stopped beating, it’s time to heat a wok or a large frying pan with a lot of cooking oil. Make sure it is piping hot.
8. Create little rings with the dough and deep fry them until the picarones get a brownish colour. This is probably as much fun as you will have before eating, unless you particularly enjoyed the beating session.
9. Let them cool for a bit (perhaps on a bed of napkins to reduce the amount of oil you’ll be eating).
10. Pour the syrup over the picarones and voilá! You can say whatever you like about the preparation, but you can’t say it wasn’t worth it!

Posted in Recipes | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment