Peruvian Plates with Aleksander

Ingredients

• 800g white fish (sea bass, sole, or any firm white fish), cut into 2cm cubes
• 10–12 limes, freshly juiced (approx 200ml)
• 1 aji amarillo, deseeded and finely chopped
• 1 large red onion, thinly sliced into half-moons
• 1 small bunch fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small piece fresh ginger (1cm), grated
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 large sweet potato, boiled and sliced (for serving)
• Cancha (toasted Andean corn) or corn nuts (for serving)
• 1 corn on the cob, boiled and sliced into rounds

Method

1. Prepare the leche de tigre base: Blend a small portion of fish (about 100g) with half the lime juice, garlic, ginger, half the aji amarillo, a pinch of salt, and a splash of fish stock or cold water. Strain. This is your "tiger's milk" — the soul of ceviche.
2. Cure the fish: Place the cubed fish in a glass bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the remaining lime juice over the fish. Let it sit for 2–3 minutes only — no longer. Peruvian ceviche is barely cured, not cooked through.
3. Combine: Add the leche de tigre, remaining aji amarillo, sliced red onion, and chopped cilantro. Toss gently.
4. Taste and adjust: Add more salt, lime, or aji to balance. The flavour should be bright, sharp, and slightly spicy.
5. Serve immediately: Plate in a shallow bowl. Arrange boiled sweet potato slices and corn rounds alongside. Scatter cancha on top. Serve the extra leche de tigre in a small glass on the side.

Substitutions for Europe / US

Ingredients

• 600g sirloin steak, cut into thick strips
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 aji amarillo, deseeded and sliced (or 1 tbsp paste)
• 2 large red onions, cut into thick wedges
• 3 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp cumin
• Salt and black pepper
• Vegetable oil for high-heat frying
• Fresh cilantro for garnish

To serve

• French fries — thick-cut, fried until golden
• White rice

Method

1. Season the beef: Toss steak strips with salt, pepper, and cumin. Let rest 10 minutes at room temperature.
2. Sear the beef: Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over very high heat. Sear beef in batches — 1 minute per side. Remove and set aside. The wok must be smoking hot.
3. Cook the vegetables: In the same wok, add a splash more oil. Stir-fry onion wedges for 1 minute. Add garlic and aji amarillo, cook 30 seconds. Add tomato wedges, cook 1 minute — tomatoes should soften but hold their shape.
4. Deglaze and combine: Return beef to the wok. Pour in soy sauce and red wine vinegar. Toss everything together over high heat for 30 seconds.
5. Serve: Plate the lomo saltado on one side, hot fries alongside, white rice on the other side. Garnish with fresh cilantro. The fries should mingle with the sauce — this is intentional and essential.

Substitutions for Europe / US

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts (or 1 whole chicken, poached and shredded)
• 4 tbsp aji amarillo paste
• 4 slices white bread, crusts removed, soaked in 200ml evaporated milk
• 100g walnuts, ground or blended
• 50g parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 2 medium onions, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp turmeric (for colour)
• Vegetable oil, salt, and pepper

To serve

• White rice
• Boiled yellow potatoes, halved
• Hard-boiled eggs, halved
• Black olives (botija olives ideally)

Method

1. Poach the chicken: Simmer chicken breasts in salted water with a bay leaf and half an onion for 20 minutes. Remove, cool slightly, and shred finely. Reserve 500ml of the stock.
2. Make the sauce base: Sauté diced onions in oil until translucent. Add garlic, cumin, and turmeric. Cook 2 minutes. Add aji amarillo paste and cook 3 minutes more until fragrant.
3. Blend the thickener: Squeeze excess milk from the soaked bread. Blend the bread with the evaporated milk, ground walnuts, and about 200ml of chicken stock until smooth.
4. Combine: Add the blended mixture to the saucepan. Stir continuously over medium heat. Add more stock to reach a creamy, pourable consistency. Stir in parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Fold in the chicken: Add shredded chicken to the sauce. Simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Serve: Spoon over white rice with boiled potato halves alongside. Garnish with halved hard-boiled eggs and black olives.

Substitutions for Europe / US

Ingredients

• 8 chicken pieces (thighs and drumsticks, bone-in, skin-on)
• 2 large bunches fresh cilantro, blended with 200ml water into a smooth puree
• 2 tbsp aji amarillo paste
• 330ml beer (lager)
• 3 cups long-grain rice
• 2 medium onions, finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 1 corn on the cob, cut into rounds
• 1 tsp cumin
• Salt, pepper, vegetable oil

Method

1. Brown the chicken: Season chicken pieces with salt, pepper, and cumin. Brown in oil on both sides in a large, deep pan or Dutch oven. Remove and set aside.
2. Build the base: In the same pan, sauté onions until golden. Add garlic and aji amarillo paste, cook 2 minutes. Add carrots and cook 2 minutes more.
3. Deglaze with beer: Pour in the beer. Let it bubble for 2 minutes to cook off the alcohol.
4. Add cilantro puree: Pour in the blended cilantro. Stir well. Return the chicken pieces to the pan. Add enough water or stock to cover the chicken. Simmer covered for 20 minutes.
5. Cook the rice: Remove chicken. Measure the liquid — you need approximately 3 cups of liquid for 3 cups of rice. Add rice, peas, and corn rounds. Stir once, cover, and cook on low heat for 18–20 minutes until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.
6. Serve: Place the chicken on top of the green rice. The rice should be vivid green and fragrant. Serve with salsa criolla (sliced red onion, lime juice, and cilantro) on the side.

Substitutions for Europe / US

Ingredients

Potato layer

• 1kg yellow potatoes, peeled and boiled until very soft
• 3 tbsp aji amarillo paste
• 3 tbsp lime juice
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• Salt and pepper

Filling (choose one)

• Chicken filling: 300g shredded cooked chicken mixed with 2 tbsp mayo, diced celery, lime juice, salt
• Tuna filling: 2 cans tuna (drained) mixed with 2 tbsp mayo, diced red onion, lime juice, salt

Garnish

• 1 ripe avocado, sliced
• Hard-boiled eggs, sliced
• Black olives

Method

1. Make the potato dough: Mash the hot boiled potatoes until completely smooth (use a ricer for best results). While still warm, mix in aji amarillo paste, lime juice, oil, salt, and pepper. The mixture should be smooth, golden, and pliable — like soft play dough.
2. Layer: Press half the potato mixture into the bottom of a ring mould or rectangular dish lined with cling film. Smooth the top.
3. Add filling: Spread the chicken or tuna filling evenly over the potato layer. Add sliced avocado on top of the filling.
4. Top layer: Press the remaining potato mixture on top. Smooth the surface. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
5. Serve: Unmould carefully. Garnish with sliced hard-boiled eggs, black olives, and a drizzle of aji amarillo sauce. Serve cold.

Substitutions for Europe / US

Ingredients

• 1kg potatoes (yellow or waxy), peeled, boiled, and sliced into 1cm rounds
• 4 aji amarillo peppers (deseeded) or 3 tbsp aji amarillo paste
• 200g queso fresco (fresh white cheese), crumbled
• 150ml evaporated milk
• 6 cream crackers (saltines or water biscuits)
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 clove garlic
• Salt to taste

Garnish

• Lettuce leaves
• Hard-boiled eggs, halved
• Black olives

Method

1. Make the Huancaína sauce: Blend aji amarillo, queso fresco, evaporated milk, crackers, oil, garlic, and salt until completely smooth and creamy. Adjust consistency with more milk if needed — it should be pourable but not thin.
2. Assemble: Line a plate with lettuce leaves. Arrange potato slices on top. Pour the Huancaína sauce generously over the potatoes.
3. Garnish: Add halved hard-boiled eggs and black olives. Serve immediately — or refrigerate and serve cold (equally traditional).

Substitutions for Europe / US

Ingredients

• 800g beef heart, cleaned, trimmed, and cut into 3cm cubes
• 4 tbsp aji panca paste
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• Wooden or metal skewers

To serve

• Boiled potatoes
• Corn on the cob
• Aji sauce (aji amarillo blended with oil, lime, and garlic)

Method

1. Prepare the marinade: Combine aji panca paste, vinegar, cumin, oregano, garlic, salt, pepper, and oil in a large bowl. Mix well.
2. Marinate: Add beef heart cubes to the marinade. Toss to coat completely. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours — overnight is better.
3. Skewer: Thread 4–5 pieces of marinated heart onto each skewer. Reserve the remaining marinade for basting.
4. Grill: Cook over very high heat on a barbecue or griddle pan — 2–3 minutes per side. Baste with the reserved marinade while grilling. The outside should be charred and caramelised; the inside should be pink and tender. Do not overcook — beef heart becomes tough if cooked past medium.
5. Serve: Plate with boiled potatoes and corn. Drizzle with aji sauce. These are traditionally eaten standing at a street cart at 10pm in Lima — but they're equally good at your kitchen table.

Substitutions for Europe / US

Ingredients

Picarones dough

• 300g sweet potato, peeled and boiled until very soft
• 300g pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled and boiled until very soft
• 2 tsp dried yeast, activated in 100ml warm water with 1 tsp sugar
• 250g plain flour (approximately — may need more or less)
• 1 tsp anise seeds
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• Vegetable oil for deep frying

Chancaca syrup

• 250g chancaca (panela) — raw cane sugar block, broken into pieces
• 200ml water
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 whole cloves
• Peel of 1 orange
• 1 star anise

Method

1. Make the dough: Mash the boiled sweet potato and pumpkin together until smooth. While warm, add the activated yeast mixture, anise seeds, cinnamon, and salt. Gradually add flour, mixing until you have a soft, sticky dough (it should be wetter than bread dough — more like a thick batter).
2. Prove: Cover the dough with a damp cloth. Let it rise in a warm place for 2 hours — it should roughly double in volume and become light and airy.
3. Make the syrup: While the dough proves, combine chancaca, water, cinnamon stick, cloves, orange peel, and star anise in a saucepan. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the chancaca dissolves and the syrup thickens to a honey-like consistency (about 20–25 minutes). Strain and keep warm.
4. Shape and fry: Heat oil to 170°C. Wet your hands with water. Take a golf-ball-sized piece of dough and shape it into a ring by poking a hole through the centre with your finger. Gently drop into the oil. Fry for 2–3 minutes per side until deep golden brown and puffed up. Drain on paper towels.
5. Serve: Stack picarones on a plate. Drizzle generously with warm chancaca syrup. Serve immediately — they are best eaten hot, standing at a street cart, as is traditional.

Substitutions for Europe / US