Sudado de Pescado Chifa (Chinese-Peruvian Steamed Fish)

Whenever I go to a Chifa with my Mom and Dad, we usually start with a Wantan soup, and then debate on Arroz Chaufa or stir fried noodles, but there is one dish that we always get — Steamed Fish. By far, that is my Mom’s favorite dish, and this is my version, a Chifa, or Chinese-Peruvian, whole steamed fish with a hint of aji amarillo heat, covered in a savory sauce made with soy, sesame oil, ginger, and scallions. Here’s what you need to do to get your Chifa flavors happening in your kitchen in the New Year.
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Baked Empanadas

You’ve heard all your friends talk about how much they love empanadas, specially beef empanadas, but you are missing out because you are vegetarian. Well, these here empanadas use a savory spinach filling that is a very close second to the savory beef filling. Unless you want dessert, then you can skip both the beef and spinach and just make an apple empanada. Either way, you win.
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Juane de Arroz con Pollo

Last Sunday I prepared a Peruvian tasting menu for some dear friends, which gave me the opportunity to try new techniques, recipes, and presentations. In other words, it was my chance to be playful and experiment in the kitchen. With Novalima’s Afro-Peruvian rhythms on the radio, we toasted to our reunion with a Negroni Andino aperitif — Pisco infused with papa seca, Campari, and Vermouth Chinato. Next up, a Trio of Anticuchos, but not just any kebabs, these were a trio of shrimp, pork, and potatoes, all cooked sous vide and served over different colorful and spicy sauces. To cool the palate, a cold Gazpacho soup served as a reminder that tomatoes are originally from Peru and Mexico, not Spain or Italy.

And then I served an empty plate with a little bit of pickled red onions, or Salsa Criolla, which left everyone wondering what the main dish was going to be.

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Shrimp Anticuchos with Chimichurri

Every culture has their kebabs, from lamb kebabs in the Middle East, pork souvlaki in Greece, chicken yakitori in Japan, ground beef kebabs in Morocco, chicken pinchos in Spain, to beef heart anticuchos in Peru, you could travel around the world and be sustained on a kebab-only diet. What makes the Peruvian anticuchos unique is the marinade — a dark red blend of smoky aji panca, spices, vinegar, and lime juice that fills the air in the streets of Lima, where a line around the block is typical for the best anticucho street vendors.
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Papa a la Huancaina, Peruvian Potato Salad

“So, what are you bringing to the picnic?”
Papa a la Huancaina.
“Papa a la huanca-what?”
It’s a Peruvian potato salad, originally from the town of Huancayo.
“Oh. What makes it Peruvian, aren’t potatoes from Idaho or Ireland, anyway?”
No, potatoes are from Peru, there are hundreds of different varieties grown in the Andes mountains, and they have been a staple of the Inca diet for centuries.
“So, what’s so special about this salad?”
Well, the potatoes and greens are bathed in a spicy aji amarillo sauce made with yellow hot peppers, queso fresco, milk, and an onion sofrito — it’s served cold, so it’s refreshing and spicy at the same time, plus it’s garnished with hardboiled eggs and olives.
“Wow. I’d really like to try some.”
Of course, I really think you’ll like it, t’s pretty special because my Mom showed me how to make it. Here, this is her recipe so you make it at home.
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