PERU: THE COOKBOOK The definitive Peruvian cookbook, featuring 500 traditional home cooking recipes from the country s most acclaimed and popular chef, Gastón Acurio. One of the world s most innovative and flavorful cuisines, Peruvian food has been consistently heralded by chefs and media around the world as the next big thing. Peruvian restaurants are opening across the United States, with 20 in San Francisco alone, including Limon and La Mar. Acurio guides cooks through the full range of Peru s vibrant cuisine from popular classics like quinoa and ceviche, and lomo saltado to lesser known dishes like amaranth and aji amarillo. For the first time, audiences will be able to bring the flavors of one of the world s most popular culinary destinations into their own kitchen. Save 30% until 27th May with coupon code: GASTON Sample Recipes >
Serves: 4 Preparation Time: 10 minutes Always use firm-fleshed white fish, without skin and bones, to prepare classic ceviche. Avoid oily or fatty varieties of fish. 4 6-oz (175-g) white fish fillets (such as sole, croaker, or grouper) 2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped 2 teaspoons limo chile, chopped juice of 20 small lemons 1 teaspoon chopped culantro or cilantro (coriander) leaves 2 or 3 ice cubes 1 red onion, sliced into half-moon crescents 1 corncob, cooked and kernels removed ½ sweet potato, boiled and sliced CEVICHE CLÁSICO CLASSIC CEVICHE Cut the fish into ¾-inch/2-cm cubes, place in a bowl, and season with. After 1 minute, add the garlic and limo chile. Mix together well. Pour over the lemon juice and add the chopped culantro or cilantro (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. Serves: 4 Preparation Time: 12 minutes You can prepare this ceviche with the most inexpensive types of fish you can find, such as comber, mackerel, horse mackerel, or silverside fish. 1 1 lb 9¼-oz (720-g) or 4 6-oz (175-g) fillets fish (such as comber, mackerel, or silverside fish) 2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped 2 teaspoons chopped limo chile juice of 20 small lemons ½ cup (4 fl oz/120 ml) Blended Yellow Chiles (see p. 404) 1 teaspoon chopped culantro or cilantro (coriander) leaves 2 or 3 ice cubes 1 red onion, sliced into half-moon crescents 4 tablespoons cancha (toasted corn), plus extra to garnish (optional) CEVICHE CRIOLLO CREOLE CEVICHE Cut the fish into ¾-inch/2-cm cubes, place in a bowl, and season with. After 1 minute, add the garlic and limo chile. Mix together well. Pour over the lemon juice and add the blended yellow chiles, culantro or cilantro (coriander) leaves, and ice cubes. Stir and let stand for a few seconds. Add the red onion and remove the ice cubes. Add the cancha, mix together, and adjust the seasoning to taste. Serve in a large shallow bowl with cooked corn kernels and boiled sweet potato slices. You can also add a little extra cancha to garnish, if desired. 1 corncob, cooked and kernels removed ½ sweet potato, boiled and sliced Classic Ceviche 16 CEVICHE 17
Serves: 4, plus soaking overnight Cooking Time: 1 hour 30 minutes These sandwiches can also be made with country bread, ciabatta, or baguette. They all work wonderfully. 1 x 4½-lb (2-kg) pork side (belly) 1 cup (11 oz/300 g) salt 5 cups (2¼ lb/1 kg) lard 4 cloves garlic 2 sweet potatoes, sliced 4 cups (34 fl oz/1 liter) vegetable oil 4 French bread rolls or any crusty rolls 1 cup (8 fl oz/250 ml) Creole Sauce (see p. 416) ¼ red onion, thinly sliced ½ red chile, thinly sliced handful cilantro (coriander), leaves picked SÁNGUCHE DE CHICHARRÓN PORK CRACKLING SANDWICH Put the pork side (belly) in a large bowl with the salt, cover with water, and let soak for 8 hours, or overnight. Once soaked, remove the pork from the water and rinse well. Drain and cut into 2 x 1¾-inch/5 x 4-cm pieces. Put the lard into a large skillet or frying pan over medium heat to melt. Once melted, add the whole garlic cloves and pork pieces, lower the heat, and cook gently for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn up the heat and cook for another 25 minutes, until the meat has browned and the fat is crisp and golden. Set aside. Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan or deep fryer to 350 F/180 C, or until a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds. Drop the sweet potato slices carefully into the hot oil and cook for 5 minutes, or until crispy and golden. Drain well on paper towels. Slice the bread rolls lengthwise down the middle and fill with the fried sweet potato slices, pork pieces, and Creole sauce, onion, chile, and cilantro (coriander). Serve. Serves: 8 Preparation Time: 8 minutes, plus 4 hours marinating Cooking Time: 2 hours You can also use pork shoulder, rib, or loin to prepare these sandwiches. 1 tablespoon vegetable oil ½ cup (4 fl oz/120 ml) Panca Chili Paste (see p. 406) 5 cloves garlic, very finely chopped 2½ teaspoons dried oregano 2½ teaspoons ground cumin 1 x 5½-lb (2.5-kg) boned pork leg 1 cup (8 fl oz/250 ml) white wine 8 French bread rolls or any crusty rolls 2 cups (18 fl oz/500 ml) Creole Sauce (see p. 416) SÁNGUCHE DE LECHÓN PORK SANDWICH Put the oil in a bowl with the chili paste, garlic, oregano, and cumin. Season with and mix together well. Wash and dry the pork leg thoroughly. Coat the leg with the chili mixture and set aside to marinate for 4 hours. Preheat the oven to 300 F/150 C/Gas Mark 2. Transfer the pork leg to a roasting pan. Pour over ½ cup (4 fl oz/120 ml) water and cook in the preheated oven for 1 hour. Mix the white wine with 1 cup (8 fl oz/250 ml) water, pour over the pork, and continue to cook for another hour until golden and cooked through. Remove the pork from the oven and let cool. Carve the meat into thick slices and set aside. Slice the bread rolls lengthwise down the middle and fill with the pork slices and Creole sauce. Serve. Pork Crackling Sandwich 124 STREET FOOD 125
Makes: 80 candies (sweets) Preparation Time: 1 hour 40 minutes, plus 7 days infusing and 3 4 minutes chilling Cooking Time: 10 minutes pisco-infused raisins scant 1½ cups (7 oz/200 g) raisins 1¼ cups (8 fl oz/300 ml) pisco Ganache ½ cup (4 fl oz/120 ml) heavy (double) cream 13½ oz (390 g) bitter dark chocolate, broken into small pieces ½ cup (4 oz/120 g) unsalted butter, cut into cubes 2½ tablespoons vanilla extract Outer layer and filling 3¼ lb (1.5 kg) dark chocolate couverture 2 cups (1 lb 2 oz/500 g) Dulce de Leche (see p. 414) 40 large pecans, shelled CHOCOTEJAS DE MANJAR CON PECANAS Y PASAS DARK CHOCOLATE CANDIES FILLED WITH DULCE DE LECHE, PECANS, AND RAISINS To prepare the pisco-infused raisins, wash the raisins thoroughly, drain, and place in a glass jar. Pour in the pisco and let infuse for at least 7 days. Once infused, strain, transfer to a suitable container, and keep refrigerated until needed. To make the ganache, put the cream in a pan and warm over low heat. Melt the bitter dark chocolate separately in a bain-marie, add to the cream, and mix together. Add the butter and vanilla extract and mix thoroughly. Cool and refrigerate until needed. To make the outer shell of the candies (sweets), melt the dark chocolate couverture in a bain-marie or in the microwave. Once melted, pour into a chocoteja mold (or small candy mold), gently tapping the mold on the table to eliminate any air bubbles that may have formed. Turn the mold upside down to drain out, and reserve, any excess chocolate, tapping it gently. Refrigerate for 3 4 minutes so that the chocolate shells solidify. Mix the dulce de leche together with the drained pisco-infused raisins in a bowl. Remove the chocolate-coated mold from the refrigerator and fill each individual mold with a little of the dulce de leche and raisin mixture. Place half a pecan inside each one and add a little of the ganache. Refrigerate until firm. Remove the chocolate candies from the refrigerator, still in their mold, and cover each one with some of the reserved melted dark chocolate couverture, smoothing the bases with a spatula. Refrigerate once again so that the outer layer solidifies. Remove the candies from the mold by lightly tapping it. Keep refrigerated until serving. Dark Chocolate Candies Filled with Dulce de Leche, Pecans, and Raisins 342 DESSERTS & SWEETS 343
Serves: 1 1 tablespoon pisco, infused with dried fruits 3 tablespoons rum cream 2 tablespoons carob syrup 2 oz (50 g) lucuma fruit, chopped 2 tablespoons condensed milk 10 ice cubes carob syrup, for decoration pinch of ground cinnamon, for decoration LUCURRUBINA PISCO, RUM, AND CAROB SYRUP COCKTAIL Put the fruit-infused pisco, rum cream, carob syrup, lucuma fruit, and condensed milk into a blender with 4 ice cubes. Blend for a few seconds, then pour into a cocktail shaker and add the remaining 6 ice cubes. Shake together for 6 seconds. Trickle a little carob syrup around the sides of a tall glass for a marbled effect. Strain in the drink and sprinkle with a pinch of ground cinnamon to finish. Serves: 1 15 ice cubes 6 tablespoons Quebranta pisco 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons sugar syrup 1 tablespoon egg white 2 drops Angostura bitters, to finish PISCO SOUR PISCO SOUR Place the ice in a blender or cocktail shaker and pour in the liquid ingredients. Blend for 3 seconds or shake for 8, then strain into a chilled stemless cocktail glass. Drop the Angostura bitters in the center of the drink to finish. Serves: 1 4 tablespoons Quebranta pisco 6 tablespoons mango juice 4 tablespoons pineapple syrup 15 ice cubes 1 strawberry, sliced, to garnish QUÉ BUENOS MANGOS PISCO AND MANGO COCKTAIL Shake all the liquid ingredients in a cocktail shaker with the ice for 10 seconds, then strain into a chilled large cocktail glass. Garnish with the sliced strawberry. Pisco Sour 396 DRINKS 397