Peru · Red Hind

Peruvian Parihuela Seafood Soup

Parihuela

Peru’s big, brick-red seafood soup, the one cevicherías in Callao swear will cure anything. Fish and shellfish simmer in a broth built on ají panca, ají amarillo and a splash of chicha de jora.

  • Prep 30 min
  • Cook 40 min
  • Serves 4–6
  • Level Medium
Photo: merri from San Francisco, CA, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0

Ingredients

Tap each item as you gather it.

For the base

For the seafood

To finish

Method

Step by step, the way it is done on the island.

  1. Make the aderezo. In a large pot heat the oil and cook the onion over medium heat 6–8 minutes until golden. Add the garlic, ají panca and ají amarillo and cook 3 minutes, stirring, until the oil turns red.
  2. Add tomato and spices. Add the tomatoes, cumin and oregano and cook 5 minutes until the tomato breaks down. Pour in the chicha and let it bubble 2 minutes.
  3. Simmer the broth. Add the fish stock and crabs, bring to a boil and simmer 15 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
  4. Add the seafood. Slip in the fish and simmer 4 minutes. Add the mussels or clams, shrimp and squid, cover and cook 3–4 minutes more, until the shells open and the shrimp turn pink. Throw away any shells that stay closed.
  5. Serve. Ladle into big bowls, scatter with cilantro and serve with lime, sliced rocoto and a plate of arroz con choclo.

On the side

The side dish that belongs with it, full recipe included.

Peru

Peruvian Garlic Rice with Corn

Arroz con Choclo

Fluffy garlic rice studded with sweet corn kernels. In Peru it is the everyday partner for fried fish, sudados and chicharrón de pescado.

  • Prep 5 min
  • Cook 25 min
  • Serves 4–6
  • Level Easy

You need

  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 cups long-grain rice, rinsed
  • 1 cup corn kernels (Peruvian choclo or sweet corn)
  • 3 cups water
  • 1½ tsp salt

How to make it

  1. Fry the garlic. Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat and cook the garlic 1 minute until fragrant, not brown.
  2. Add rice and corn. Stir in the rice and corn and toast 2 minutes. Add the water and salt and bring to a boil.
  3. Steam. Cover, turn to the lowest heat and cook 18–20 minutes. Rest 5 minutes off the heat, then fluff with a fork.

Photo: bochalla · CC BY-SA 2.0