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[InkaRoads]

Ocopa Antigua (Ocopa old recipe) this is a dish that dates back to the Inca days, there are as many variations as there are cooks in Peru, however this is the recipe that goes back many generations and as per grandma is the closest she has ever try to the real thing as far as she knows. This dish originally from the central-south area of Peru, Arequipa calling dips as its birth place.
Unfortunately there are a couple of the ingredients that you will not find in USA or Mexico, however substitute can be found and the taste is not lost completely and if you know a latino markets in PHX or LA you will find almost all of them.

As Hillbertoe mentions about the peppers, in this case is the same, Aji Verde, green in color and Aji Mirasol, orange in color (Capsicum baccatum) come from the same plant the difference is that they are picked at different stages of maturation and therefore the difference in color and slight in taste too, if you can't find it fresh you can buy the "Aji Amarillo" paste common in many latino markets to substitute both in this case and then you will have to add as much as you like taking in consideration that it does get a little hot once you add more than 1 teaspoon.

The other ingredient you might have problems finding is the Huacatay (tagates minuta) or peruvian black mint, well I know what you want to hear but sorry never been able to find it in USA the closest is marigold but I have not even dare to try it as a substitute. donno why must be my 9th sense!!! AQF

Ingredients: Serves 8 people

2 pounds of potatoes
1 pound yellow onions
6 ajies verdes with out seeds
1 branch of huacatay
1 pound of queso fresco
1 cup of milk
200 grm of roasted peanuts
4 ajies mirasol
salt
oil

Preparation:


boil potatoes, preferably mid to small size, fried the aji mirasol and roasted thru and the same with the onion finally chopped and the aji verde, be careful to toast everything to a golden color, DO NOT USE TO MUCH OIL TO GOLDEN, when done blend all this adding the cheese and thin it out with the milk, crush the peanuts in small pieces and mix everything then add the huacatay, salt and oil to your liking then blend for a few seconds, should be a mid to thin paste.

Once the potatoes are done you can peel or leave skin for better nutritional POW!!!! depending on papa size you leave it whole or cut in half, I serve it in a plate with a leaf of lettuce of your liking as a bed then set the potato or potatoes on lettuce, pour some ocopa on top of potatoes, cut on half a hard boil egg and set it on top of sauce and potatoes and if you like you can add sliced black olives on top, mainly for colorful looks.

This dish is served as a first plate in lunch or dinner but you can have 5 potatoes and fill yourself, it is entirely up to you!!

I hope you enjoy it!!!

 

[Hillbeartoe]

Sounds good Inka. With the Huacatay does it taste minty or is it just reffered to as a mint. If you could describe the flavor I may be able to find something similar at the Asian market, because things they call mint taste nothing like what Americans consider "Minty".

Ty for your recipe I look forward to trying it out.

Edit: Sorry Inka my OCD is kickn in.
The peanuts, Dry roasted in the shell with or with out salt or raw peanuts roasted in a pan?

 

[InkaRoads]

The Huacatay, although called "black mint" has no mint or very little, if any, minty flavor as you say, to tell you the true it has been so long since I have tried the plant by itself that I have no recollection of its flavor, it was so hard to find back a few years ago that I gave up looking for it, I have family in LA and they could not find it even in the peruvian markets, it is a touchy plant and does not grow here well, however there are species of the same family as all the marigold seem to be part of it but the flavors might be very different.

In regards to the peanuts it depends how you like it most, you can use the already roasted, no salt for better control of saltines, or you can roast your own in the pan

 

[Hillbeartoe]

Yes, that is what I thought.
There are several Herbs at the Asian market that look similar to mint, that they call mint that are more Savory than minty. I destroyed a dish one time because I was impressed with the size of the Asian mint Leaves.... lol. Tasted nothing like "minty".
Ok Inka, ty again for the clarifications.

 

[Hillbeartoe]

Puerto Penasco Clam (mussel) Chowder:

Prepare core ingredient Roux.

1 cup chopped carrot.
1 cup chopped onion.
2 large potatoes pealed and cubed or slice for quicker cooking.
2 cups broth, chicken or vegetable.
1.5 cups of milk.
1 cup of steamed clams (mussels) or more (thats all we collected, first timers, lol)
Salt and Pepper to taste.

Assembly;
Sate' onion in enuff olive oil just to keep from sticking till translucent.
Add carrot and potato stir for 2 minutes.
Add broth and milk. Bring to simmer.
Stir roux, wisk in.
Bring back to simmer.
Chop clam (mussels) rough and add to pot. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Serve with good crusty bread. It was freakin fantastic.
It was enough to feed 7 people, dad had 3 bowls lol.

 

[YumaJames]

Puerto Penasco Clam (mussel) Chowder:

Prepare core ingredient Roux.

1 cup chopped carrot.
1 cup chopped onion.
2 large potatoes pealed and cubed or slice for quicker cooking.
2 cups broth, chicken or vegetable.
1.5 cups of milk.
1 cup of steamed clams (mussels) or more (thats all we collected, first timers, lol)
Salt and Pepper to taste.

Assembly;
Sate' onion in enuff olive oil just to keep from sticking till translucent.
Add carrot and potato stir for 2 minutes.
Add broth and milk. Bring to simmer.
Stir roux, wisk in.
Bring back to simmer.
Chop clam (mussels) rough and add to pot. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Serve with good crusty bread. It was freakin fantastic.
It was enough to feed 7 people, dad had 3 bowls lol.

http://rs842.pbsrc.com/albums/zz341/GandLShep/Mobile Uploads/1227142003.jpg~320x480
http://rs842.pbsrc.com/albums/zz341/GandLShep/Mobile Uploads/1227141906.jpg~320x480

Awesome recipe, always wanted a recipe for clam chowder! Thanks Hillbeartoe!

 

[Hillbeartoe]

No problemo.
We went out to Cholla and could not find any of the manilla clams but found a lot of the Mussels. They worked out great.
Just remember, it's all about the core. A good Roux can make anything awesome.
You can make the same thing with just Corn and Potato and it's ridiculous good.

 

[Southbeacher]

Sounds good Inka. With the Huacatay does it taste minty or is it just reffered to as a mint. If you could describe the flavor I may be able to find something similar at the Asian market, because things they call mint taste nothing like what Americans consider "Minty".?

Here's how Mike Falkowitz of the "Spice Hunting" blog describes it (and apparently a combination of mint and coriander comes closest as a substitute):
Meet the curiously strong black mint. It's the mint you never knew you needed.
It's a mint-lover's mint, the Chuck Norris of refreshing herbs.
No mint I know has the fresh, clean aroma of granny smith apples and a deep, nose-clearing bite almost akin to cilantro. Black mint is sharper and mintier than garden-variety mint, cold and clean without all that fussy floral stuff on the side. It's a mint-lover's mint, the Chuck Norris of refreshing herbs.

 

[Hillbeartoe]

Very interesting. Good find, and will have to try it out.

 

[InkaRoads]

To keep up with the cold weather another peruvian dish than not only will warm you up but will definitely be liked by your taste buds plus is shrimp season!!
Taste wise might be little different as in Peru we use fresh water camaron to make this dish but since most of you have not taste the real thing it will just be glorious anyway!!!

How about a little lesson in spanish, here we go



CHUPE DE CAMARON


Ingredientes:/ Ingredients:

1 kg. camarones limpios / 2lbs of clean shrimp

1/2 kg. pescado en cubos / 1 lb cubed fish (any for those that must know what type of fish)

4 cdas. aceite vegetal / 4 Tbsp of vegetable oil

1 tz. cebolla picada / 1 cup chopped onion

4 dientes ajo / 4 cloves of garlic

1 1/2 cda. ají panca molido / 1.5 Tbsp of mashed aji panca (if you do not have omit, it is for flavor not heat!!!!!)

1 cda. orégano / 1 Tbsp oregano

1 cda. rocoto sin venas ni pepas, picado / 1 Tbsp of devain and chopped rocoto ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsicum_pubescens )

1/2 kg. tomate sin piel ni pepas, picado / 1lb deseeded, peeled and chopped tomatoes

1 choclo desgranado / 1 ear of corn kernels or cut corn in 1 to 1.5 thick wheels

1/2 kg. alverjas 1 lbs green peas

1/2 tz. arroz / 1/2 cup of rice

4 papas amarillas / 4 yellow potatoes ( in Peru we categorize the potatoes by color, its just easier!!!) yellow potatoes tent to be softer and very flavorful, extremely expensive potatoe as you will have to either drive or fly to a far away place from where you are to get the real thing!!!!

1/2 kg. habas / 1/2 lb lima beans (already cooked)

1 ají mirasol tostado / 1 aji mirasol tostado (same as aji panca, or yellow potatoes above)

huacatay / as you will find out this herb is used a lot in peruvian cuisine, although it is not available in USA or Mexico simple omit from recipe and keep going.

hierbabuena / peppermint ( for those not very familiar with cooking, when you do not have an amount attached to the item it only means one thing "USE A LITTLE BIT" like a leaf or 2

300 g queso fresco / three hundred grms of queso fresco ( queso fresco can be substitute with queso fresco)

1 tz. leche evaporada / 1 cup of evaporated milk

4 huevos / 4 blanquillos (in Mexico although "huevos" are used also "blanquillos" is a better way to call them as Huevos are as what many USA natives call them "drawers" = cajones, there is a huge difference between cAjones and cOjones!!!!! AQF



Preparacion: Preparation:

En una olla de barro haga un aderezo con aceite, cebolla, ajo, ají panca, orégano y tomate sin piel ni pepas. Rehogue y sazone. Incluya rocoto, choclo, alverjas y arroz y cocine 20 minutos. Incorpore papas, espere a que se cocinen (sin deshacerse) y agregue las habas. Una vez a punto, retire del fuego y añada las hierbas, ají mirasol, queso fresco desmenuzado y leche. Agregue los camarones, que sólo necesitan cocinarse un minuto.

It calls for a mud pan, however you can use a regular pan, in this pan you are going to mix the oil, onions, garlic, aji panca, kind of fry them for a little bit for the flavors to meld add tomatoes, water, rocoto, corn, green peas, rice and potatoes, boil the mix, let the potatoes cook but not falling apart cook!!! add the lima beans, aji mirasol, queso fresco broken in small pieces, milk and shrimp, which will only need a minute to cook.