Okay, so I’ve been meaning to get into Peruvian cuisine for a while now. It’s something totally different, you know? So I decided to finally give it a go and put together a little Peruvian menu for myself.
First off, I had to figure out what I even wanted to make. I did some digging around, just browsing through recipes and stuff. I wasn’t really sure where to start, but I knew I wanted a good mix of dishes. Ended up settling on a few things that looked tasty and not too crazy complicated.
Getting the Ingredients
Next up was getting all the ingredients. This was a bit of a mission, I gotta say. Some of the stuff you need for Peruvian cooking isn’t exactly common in my local supermarket. I managed to find most things, but I did have to make a few substitutions here and there. Like, I couldn’t find aji amarillo paste everywhere, so I had to order it online, which took a few days.
Cooking Time
Once I had everything, it was time to actually cook. I started with the Ceviche. This is basically raw fish “cooked” in lime juice. I chopped up some sea bass, mixed it with red onion, cilantro, and chili, and then drowned it in lime juice. Let that sit in the fridge for a few hours. It was actually way easier than I expected, and smelled amazing while it was marinating.
Then I moved on to the Lomo Saltado. This is like a stir-fry with beef, onions, tomatoes, and french fries. Yeah, french fries in a stir-fry! I seared the beef, then tossed in the veggies, and at the end, threw in some cooked fries. It sounds weird, but trust me, it works.
- For the Causa, I boiled some potatoes, mashed them up real good, and mixed them with lime juice, oil, and that aji amarillo paste I got.
- Then I layered it with some shredded chicken, avocado, and a bit of mayo. This one was a bit more work, but it turned out pretty cool, like a layered potato salad.
Finally, I made some Picarones for dessert. These are like Peruvian doughnuts, made from sweet potato and squash. I made a dough, shaped them into rings, and deep-fried them. Then I drizzled them with this chancaca syrup, which is like a molasses-type thing. These were probably the most challenging, but also really fun to make.
The Result
So, how did it all turn out? Honestly, pretty darn good! The ceviche was super fresh and tangy. The lomo saltado was hearty and flavorful, and those french fries were a surprisingly good addition. The causa was creamy and delicious, and those picarones were the perfect sweet ending. It was definitely a lot of work, but totally worth it to try something new and different. I’d definitely recommend giving Peruvian food a shot if you’re looking for a little culinary adventure!
