Recipes – Peru

Pisco Sour

Pisco Sour is a national drink of Peru. The story goes that it was invented by an American ex-pat, Victor Morris, who owned a bar in Lima in the 1920s. Pisco Sour is easy to make and even easier to drink.

3oz of Pisco

1 oz Fresh Lime Juice

1 oz Simple Syrup (homemade syrup can be made by boing equal amounts of sugar and water until sugar is dissolved)

1 egg white

A dash of Angostura Bitters

Fill 1/3 of the shaker with ice, add the rest of the ingredients. Shake well to create a nice foam. Pour and finish with 2 drops of bitters in the middle of the glass.

Causa

One of my favorite dishes that I discovered in Peru is Causa. It is a layered dish of potatoes and seafood, mostly served cold as an appetizer. This recipe is by Hector Aguilar, a head chef of Peruvian Cooking Classes.

Ingredients

Causa

2lb. yellow potatoes

1/4 cup Aji Amarillo Paste (yellow Peruvian peppers)

7 tblsp. vegetable oil

Juice of 1 lime

salt and pepper to taste

Filling

1 lb lump crab meat, shrimp or tuna salad

1/4 cup mayonnaise

Juice of 1/2 lime

Garnishes

Avocado

Hard Boiled Egg

Aji Amarillo Paste

Aji Amarillo Paste can be found in international grocery stores. Here is the recipe to make a fresh one.

500 gr. Aji Amarillo

  1. Cut the green tip of the aji amarillo
  2. Slice the peppers in half, long ways. Use the spoon to remove the seeds
  3. Place the aji amarillo into a small pot, fill with cold water & bring to boil
  4. Once the water is boiling, empty the pot, keeping the peppers and repeat the step 2 more times. Blanching the peppers removes the spice from the chili. If you want the paste spicier, repeat once
  5. Let the peppers cool, remove the skin
  6. Blend the aji amarillo with a splash of water until the mixture forms a paste

Preparation

Causa

  1. Cook, peel and mash potatoes
  2. Add lime juice & aji amarillo puree to taste
  3. Add the vegetable oil
  4. Mix by hand to control consistency and texture – should have a firm and moldable density.

Filling

Mix the crab meat, mayonnaise, lime juice, salt and pepper.

To plate

  1. Using a metal ring or a small cake pan, create a base layer of potato.
  2. Add filling
  3. Place a few avocado slices on top of the mixture
  4. Finish with a top layer of potato

Slice the rest of avocado & egg. Decorate with an egg, avocado and olive.