Peruvian recipes: From Amazonian dry chicken soup to crab-stuffed ‘causa’ potato

Bring a taste of the Amazon to your kitchen with these delish dishes

Mixed ceviche

You can prepare this ceviche with any type of seafood and any type of chilli.

Serves 4

160g squid, cleaned
175g white fish fillet
12 blanched shrimp (prawns)
200g octopus, cooked and thinly sliced
12 scallops, cleaned
2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
2 teaspoons chopped limo chilli.
Juice of 20 small lemons
1 tsp chopped coriander leaves
2 or 3 ice cubes
1 red onion, sliced into half-moon crescents salt and pepper 

To serve

1 corn cob, cooked with kernels removed
Half a sweet potato, boiled and cut into 4 slices

Put the squid in boiling water for 40 seconds. Drain and cut in 5mm rings. Cut the fish into 2cm cubes and place in a bowl with the shrimp (prawns), squid, octopus, and scallops. Season with salt and pepper. After 1 min, add the garlic and limo chilli. Mix together well.

Pour over the lemon juice and add the coriander leaves and ice cubes. Stir and let stand for a few seconds. Add the red onion and remove the ice cubes. Mix together and adjust the seasoning to taste. Serve in a large shallow bowl with cooked corn kernels and boiled sweet potato slices.

Crab-stuffed causa potato (Causa de cangrejo)

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 15-20 minutes

Serves 4

8 yellow potatoes, peeled
½ cup / 20ml yellow chilli paste (see below)
4 tbsp vegetable oil
Juice of 7 small lemons
200g fresh crabmeat
175g mayonnaise (see below)
1 avocado, cut into 1cm cubes
2 eggs, hardboiled and coarsely chopped handful of parsley leaves, to garnish (optional) salt 

Bring a pan of water to a boil, add the potatoes, and cook until tender. Drain and mash thoroughly until smooth and free of lumps. Put into a bowl, add the chilli-paste, oil, and four-fifths of the lemon juice. Season with salt and mix together thoroughly. Set aside.

In another bowl, put the crabmeat, 120g mayonnaise and the remaining lemon juice and mix together thoroughly. Spread the potato mixture on a piece of clingfilm in a rectangle shape to a thickness of 1cm. Layer the cubed avocado, chopped hardboiled eggs, and most of the crab mixture on top of the potato mixture, setting a little aside as garnish.

Taking the edges of the plastic wrap, carefully roll the mixture into a thick roll. Remove the plastic wrap and place on a serving platter. Top with the remaining mayonnaise, crab mixture, and the parsley.

Yellow chilli pase (pasta de ají amarillo)

Prep: 25 minutes
Cook: 8-10 minutes

Makes approx 400g

1 kg yellow chillis, seeded, membrane removed, and cut into pieces
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Place the chillis in a pan with enough cold water to cover and bring to a boil, then remove from the heat and drain. Repeat the process 3 times, changing the water each time. Put the blanched chillis in a blender with the vegetable oil and a tablespoon of water and blend for about 5 minutes, to form a thick paste. Once the mixture is well-blended, push it through a strainer (sieve). This chilli paste is best used immediately, though it will keep refrigerated in an airtight container for 2 days. It can be used to prepare dressings and stews.

Mayonnaise

Prep 8 minutes

Makes 900g

1 egg
1 tsp mustard
Juice of 1 small lemon
1 litre vegetable oil
Salt and pepper

Place the egg, mustard, and lemon juice in a blender. Season with salt and pepper. Blend together, gradually drizzling in the oil, until thick and creamy. If too thick, thin with a little water. Transfer to a suitable container and keep refrigerated until needed. Mayonnaise can be used to prepare the filling for causas (Peruvian potato), as a condiment for a number of dishes, and as a base for other sauces.

Amazonian dry chicken soup

Preparation time: 20mins
Cooking time: 1 hr 10mins

Serves 4

The chicken brings a deep and intense richness to this dish, while the Amazonian ingredients add a delicious and exotic flavour.

6 tbsp vegetable oil
1.8kg chicken, cut into 8 pieces 
1 red onion, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp turmeric
2 charapita chillis, seeded, membrane removed, and chopped
4 tbsp yellow chilli paste 
1 litre chicken broth (stock)
800g spaghetti
6 coriander leaves, chopped 
Chopped chilli garnish (optional) 
Salt and pepper 

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan over medium heat. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, add to the pan, and brown on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add another 4 tbsp oil to the pan. Add the onion and garlic and sautée for 2 minutes over low heat until the onions have started to soften.

Stir in the turmeric, chillis, and chilli paste, and cook for another 10 minutes until fragrant. Add the browned chicken pieces and chicken broth (stock), bring to a simmer, and cook over medium heat for 25 mins until the chicken is tender. Strain and set aside both the chicken pieces and the cooking liquid. Pour the chicken cooking juices into a separate pan and place over the heat. Snap the raw spaghetti in half and add to the pan.

Cook over medium heat for around 15 minutes until the pasta is al dente and has absorbed all the flavours, adding more chicken broth if necessary to prevent the pasta from drying out. Stir the chicken pieces and chopped coriander leaves into the pasta, scatter over the chillis, if using, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon into large shallow bowls.

‘Peru: The Cookbook’ by Gaston Acurio. Published by Phaidon, £29.95