Pollo al Sillao/ Peruvian Soy Chicken

Chinese food is a very important part of Peruvian cuisine and this dish can be found in Peruvian restaurants other than Chinese Restaurants.

Ingredients
2 lbs. of chicken pieces
small handful of green onions with bulbs and tops cut off
1 red bellpepper sliced in thin pieces
1/4 cup soy sauce (sillao)
1 tsp. ginger minced
pinch of sugar
salt and pepper
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 cup vegetable oil

prep

season the chicken with blackpepper and tbsp. salt and add 3 tbsp. soy sauce
marinade for at least 1 hr. or longer

In a large pot add the oil enough to cover the bottom to fry the chicken  and heat
add the chicken and fry. cover and let cook for at least 15 mins. per side.
When done chicken chicken should have a beautiful dark soy color.
remove the chicken from the pot and set aside. Keep warm in an oven.
In the same pot add the bellpepper, ginger and green onions and cook down for a few mins.
in a little bowl add the cornstarch with a 2 tbsp. of water and mix completely add the rest of the soy sauce and mix together.
Add the soy mixture to the vegetables and let thicken if too thick you could add some more water to thin.
When the sauce is ready pour over the chicken and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Asado de Antano/ skirt steak with mushrooms

this is supposed to be an old recipe for Sunday suppers in Peru

3 lbs. skirt steak ( or if you prefer a more tender cut of meat to start )
1 red onion chopped
2 garlic cloves crushed
2 stalks of celery chopped
6 plum tomatoes or 12 oz. crushed tomatoes
1 medium carrot grated
1/2 cup dried mushrooms reconstituted with 1/2 red wine
1 cup beef broth to add as necessary
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1 laurel
4 tbsp. vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste

prep

brown the beef  both sides in in a big pot.
Remove from the pot and set aside
add the onions, garlic and cook down for a few mins
add the grated carrots, celery the mushrooms with the wine, the blended tomatoes and the tomato paste.
Also add the laurel
again add the beef to the pot
Cover and add the cup of beef broth and let it cook down on simmer. For about 30 mins.
When the meat is tender it is ready to be served.
Serve the sauce with it.
This dish is served with buttered pasta.

Enjoy!

Beef stir fried Peruvian style

this is a delicious fast dish with the oriental/peruvian infusion (one of my own recipes)

1 lb. beef cut into thin strips for stir fry (whatever you like)
2 cloves garlic minced
handful of chinese green onions chopped
1 tbsp. red vinegar
3 tbsp. red wine
1 tbsp. cumin
1 tbsp. minced ginger
1 tbsp. soy sauce
chopped parsley about 3 tbsp.
2 tbsp. oil
blk pepper and salt to taste.
1 lime

Season the beef with salt, pepper and the juice of 1 lime and set aside

In a saute pan or wok if you have heat the oil
and saute the beef and add the garlic, onions and ginger
add the wine and vinegar and soy.
Cook to desired doneness taste for salt and pepper and add parsley before serving.

Serve over rice

Rocoto Relleno Arequipa Style

In the Cusco area Rocoto Relleno is a very popular dish and should be since it is so delicious but is cooked a little differently. I will get a recipe for this version shortly.
In Arequipa it is made with chopped beef and baked as opposed to fried. This dish is also muy rico!!
This dish is also beautiful and a centerpiece ( I forgot to take pics .. sigh! ) until I cook them again.

6 rocotos make sure the stems are attached ( you could mix the colors )

2 tbsp. sugar - for water
3 tbsp. red vinegar -for water
1 tbsp. salt - for water
4 cups water

2 small onions chopped finely
2 tbsp. aji colorado paste
4 tbsp. raisins
queso fresco or fresh cheese
4 tbsp. peanuts unsalted crushed
3/4 lb. chopped (for filling) beef
2 tbsp. oil
pinch of white pepper
1/2 tbsp. salt
1/2 tbsp. oregano

batido
1/4 cup half and half or evaporated milk
2 eggs
2 tbsp. oil
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oven to 350 degrees
Use gloves or at least a plastic wrap to handle these hot peppers

Neatly cut the tops off the rocotos because you will use the tops again
with a small spoon with a serrated edge (if you have) scoop out all of the insides as cleanly as possible.

In a large pot place the water, sugar, vinegar, salt and rocotos including the tops and simmer for about 5 mins. then drain the water and repeat this process 2 more times.
this process helps to eliminate the hotness factor of the peppers. If you like incredibly spicy you may only simmer a couple of times.

After this process rinse rocotos in cold water and set aside.

In a saute pan place 2 tbsp. water and 2 tbsp. aji colorado and let it cook down

then add 2 tbsp. oil to the aji colorado and integrate it while stirring about 8 to 10 mins.
add onions
add the chopped beef and a pinch of white pepper, 1/2 tbsp. salt, oregano but do not mix.
remove pan from fire add the crushed peanuts and the raisins and mix well.

cut the cheese into thin pieces and wide enough to cover the tops of the rocotos.

fill the rocotos with the mixture and top with the cheese
then place the rocoto caps back over the cheese.
This looks really pretty.
The rocotos are placed into a small dish where they fit closely together.

In a bowl beat the 2 eggs, add the milk, salt and pepper and whisk together.
pour this mixture into base of dish with the rocoto rellenos.

bake for about 15 mins.

This is usually served with boiled potatoes.

Aji de Gallina

Gallina means hen and I imagine at some point hens were used to make this dish.
However, I believe just regular chickens are used.
This dish is served everywhere in Peru and I have found it to be inconsistent from delicious to quite unappetizing.
If cooked properly though it is quite an interesting and delicious dish.

3 breast of chicken boiled and shredded
1 1/2 cups of chicken broth
1/2 cup of oil
1 cup of evaporated milk
2 small onions cut into quarters
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1 small (sandwich size bread like french bread) soaked in water and and then water squeezed out
2 tbsp. walnuts finely chopped
4 tbsp. parmesan grated
3 hard boiled eggs sliced
4 tbsp. aji de amarillo
8 black olives
4 large potatoes boiled (peeled)
and cut into slices about an 1" thick
salt and pepper to taste


1. Heat the oil in a pot and saute the onions, garlic and the aji amarillo.
2. Add salt and pepper to taste
3. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil then add the pan stirring constantly.
4. lower heat and cook for about 5 mins.
5. Add the chicken, walnuts and the parmesan and stir
6. Finally add the milk and stir
7. When it thickens, it is done
8. Serve over the potatoes
9. Garnish with eggs and olives and serve

this dish is classically served with white rice

Pollo al Ajillo Peruvian - recipe

This of course is the Peruvian version of the Spanish dish

Chicken with Garlic Sauce

3lb. chicken cut into pieces
6 cloves of garlic sliced
1 tbsp. ginger minced
1/2 cup white wine
1 onion cut into strips
to taste - salt, black pepper, parsley (chopped)
oil

1. Season the chicken with salt
2. Place oil in saute pan and heat
3. brown chicken on both sides and remove from pan
4. In the same pan add a little more oil saute the garlic and the ginger until soft and golden.
5. Then add the onion to the pan, cook until translucent
6. Add the white wine to the pan carefully.
7. Now place chicken in the wine/onion mixture
8. cover and cook on low heat for about 20 mins.
9. Add a tbsp. of chopped parsley
10. Cook uncovered until chicken starts browning again. You may want to turn up the end to get a nice brown colour.
11. Sprinkle chopped parsley and serve

You could pair this dish with a Gewurtztraminer which would amplify the flavours of the ginger. Also, you could also use this wine to add to the food.