The word solterito means “unmarried” and I find it intriguing that this emblematic Arequipa regional dish gets it’s name because it was once eaten only by unmarried men. Light but filling, the salad helped loveless bachelors to stay svelte while each one searched for a wife. I love this as a main at lunchtime: it burst with flavor and is bright to look at.
125g purple potatoes or regular floury potatoes 125g new potatoes 75g broad beans 75g choclo corn kernels or sweetcorn kernals 8 cherry tomatoes, halved 8 Peruvian botija olives or Kalamata olives, halved 1 amarillo chilli or 1 medium-heat red chilli, deseeded and julienned 75g queso fresco, crumbled or 75g cottage cheese 2 spring onions, very thinly sliced, to serve Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the dressing
75ml olive oil 50ml white wine vinegar ½ tbsp rocoto pepper paste A few parsley leaves, finely torn ¼ small red onion, finely chopped
Put all the potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. Put on over a high heat and bring to the boil. Salt the water and cook the potatoes until tender (about 15 minutes), then drain and allow to cool. Cut into cubes or thick slices.
Bring another saucepan of water to the boil over a high heat Salt the water, then add the broad beans and choclo or sweetcorn and cook for 3–4 minutes until just tender. Drain and set allow to cool. Meanwhile, make the dressing. Whisk the olive oil and white wine vinegar together with the rocoto paste and season with salt and pepper. Stir through the parsley and red onion, then set aside. (Store any leftover dressing in a sterilized jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks).
To assemble the salad, put the potatoes, broad beans and choclo or sweetcorn in a bowl with the cherry tomatoes, olives and julienned chilli. Add the cheese, pour in the dressing and stir to combine. Finally, decorate with a sprinkling of spring onions.
Don’t be fooled by the humble appearance: rocoto peppers are full of fiery Andean spirit. This traditional dish comes from the region of Arequipa where the method of triple-boiling the rocotos before stuffng, and then topping them with smooth, creamy cheese, leaves you with a far more easy-going heat. Always use fresh, rather than frozen rocoto, as frozen will collapse as they cook.
Serves 4
4 rocoto peppers or large red peppers 90ml white wine vinegar 90g granulated sugar
For the filling
1 tbsp olive oil 40g butter 500g wild mushrooms, sliced Leaves from 4 thyme sprigs, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 tsp red chilli flakes, if using red peppers rather than rocoto 250ml double cream 120g queso fresco or feta, crumbled Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 180°C (gas mark 4). Carefully cut out a cap from the top of each of the rocoto or red peppers and pull out the core and seeds. Reserve the caps if you wish. Put the peppers in a large saucepan and cover with water. Add one-third of the vinegar and sugar, then bring to the boil and simmer for 3 minutes. Drain, replace the peppers in the pan and repeat the process twice until you have used up all the sugar and vinegar. Set aside the peppers.
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To make the filling, heat the olive oil and butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the mushrooms, thyme, garlic, and chilli flakes (if using), and season with salt and pepper. Sauté until the mushrooms are cooked through. Pour in the double cream and allow to simmer for a couple of minutes, then remove from the heat and allow to cool.
When the mushroom mixture has cooled down, spoon it into the peppers, then top with equal amounts of the cheese. Put the stuffed peppers into a small baking dish or tin – you want a fairly snug fit to help the peppers stay upright. Replace the reserved caps on the peppers, if you wish. Bake in the preheated oven for 15–20 minutes until the filling is piping hot and the cheese is melted and lightly browned. Serve immediately.
Chupe de camarones antiguo - ancient prawn chowder
The warm and loving welcome I received by Chef Monica Huerta Alpaca at her Picanteria La Nueva Palomino in Arequipa, was matched only by her heavenly recipe of this classic Andina dish, handed down from five generations of her family. Local river prawns have greater intensity of flavour than ocean prawns, but of course you can use whichever is available.
Serves 4
2 tbsp olive oil 1 red onion, finely chopped 5 large garlic cloves, crushed 2 tbsp amarillo chilli paste 2 tsp tomato purée ½ tsp cumin ½ tsp dried oregano 100g uncooked mixed quinoa 1 choclo or corn on the cob, cut into chunks 1 red onion, finely chopped 1 large potato, peeled but left whole 600g large prawns, 4 left intact, the rest peeled, heads removed and deveined (keep the shells and heads to make the stock) 4 eggs (1 egg per person) 100g peas 100ml single cream or evaporated milk 50g queso fresco or feta, crumbled 2 tomatoes, peeled and finely diced Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the shellfish stock
1 tbsp olive oil Discarded heads and shells from the prawns (see above) 1.5l fish stock or water
First, make the shellfish stock. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and add the prawn heads and shells. Stir over a high heat for 3–4 minutes until bright pink and smelling very aromatic, then pour over the fish stock or water. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes, then turn down the heat to low and simmer very gently for a further 30 minutes. Use a potato masher to mash the shells and release all their juices. Strain the liquid through a sieve and press down with a metal spoon to release all the stock. Discard the prawn heads and shells.
To make the soup, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or casserole. Add the red onion and saute over a low heat for about 10 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic, chilli pasts and tomato puree, along with the cumin and oregano. Cook, stirring regularly, for a further 2 minutes until the chilli pastes start to separate.
Pour in the shellfish stock and season with salt and pepper. Add the quinoa, choclo or corn corn cob, potato and he peeled and unpeeled prawns, and simmer for about 15 minutes until the prawns are pink and cooked through and everything else is almost cooked. Crack in the eggs and poach them directly in the soup for 3 minutes until the egg whites are set and the yolks are still soft. (Alternatively, you can poach them separately and add them at the last minute.) Season with salt.
Add the peas and evaporated milk or cream and simmer for a further 2 minutes until the peas are tender but still a fresh green colour. Serve the soup in individual bowls, making sure everyone gets an egg and unpeeled prawn, sprinkled with the cheese.
Add the shelled and unshelled prawns and the cheese and heat through gently for 5 minutes until the cheese is creamy and the prawns are cooked through. Stir the soup so that it starts to swirl and quickly crack in the eggs, one at a time, so they are distinct and can poach in the liquid. Simmer until the whites are set and the yolk still soft. (Alternatively, you can poach the eggs separately and add them at the last minute.) Serve in individual bowls, making sure everyone gets an egg.
'Andina: The Heart of Peruvian Food' by Martin Morales is published by Quadrille, £27. Photography by David Loftus
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