This March I was lucky enough to take part in “A Trip of a Lifetime” with some of my fellow Rotarians. Although the highlight of the trip was to be a visit to Machu Picchu, there were so many other adventures that we had the opportunity to take part in! And as fate would have it, one of our first activities was a cooking class in Cusco at Marcelo Batata Cooking Class. Eric was the instructor and he is part owner of three different restaurants in Cusco that focus on highlighting the amazing variety of Peruvian foods. When Eric asked where we were from, he wanted to know if we had ever been to Andina. Amazing that even across those miles people know about Portland restaurants! As a bonus, during the class we were served petite portions of delicious culinary creations showcasing Peru's flavors. We learned so much about Peruvian agriculture and the history of the agriculture. Over the 10 days we heard varying reports about how many different varieties of potatoes are grown there, but let’s just say its well over 2000 in all different colors and sizes! Quinoa has also become a huge export in recent years and there are few other “superfoods” that will probably become exports in the next few years. After an education on Peruvian food culture, it was time to get to the actual class in a lovely kitchen. We were so excited to find out we were going to learn how to make Cebiche!! We each were given a beautiful piece of fresh mahi mahi and the other accouterments. Then Eric walked us through how to cut the fish, how to add the right amount of lime juice and all sorts of other secrets. The number one secret is to served the Cebiche within 30 minutes of making it! I’ve put the recipe at the bottom if you would like to try it yourself. Following our lesson on Cebiche, we returned to the bar to both eat our fresh fish and to learn how to make Pisco Sours and Chilcanos. I opted to make a Chilcano with the Pisco and ginger ale. Pisco, by the way, is Peruvian liquor made from grapes. The Peruvians haven’t quite gotten into the wine industry yet, unlike some of the other South American countries. Overall, it was an incredible experience! I’ve decided that from now on when I visit another country, or even another area of the U.S., I want to try to take a local cooking class. What a fantastic way to learn about the culture while doing something I love! RECIPES: Cebiche Ingredients for one portion 150 gr. of fish (sole, seabass, mahi mahi or any white fish) 2 limes 1 lime pepper, deseed and cut in 4 quarters, two of them finely chopped 3 tbsp. fish broth or fumet 1⁄2 tsp. Baby parsley finely chopped Salt 2 tbsp. rocoto paste Preparation: Rocoto paste: Mix in blender 1 garlic clove, 10gr. of celery, 2gr. of ginger, 15 gr. of rocoto hot chili and 3 tbsp. fish broth. Take two lime pepper quarters and rub the bowl with them (perfume the bowl). Then add the fish and rub it agaisnt the bowl gently, letting the fish absorb the essence and heat of the chili. Squeeze the juice of two key limes onto the fish and season with salt. Add the rocoto paste, baby parsley and fish broth and mix gently, finally add a little of evaporate milk and balancing the seasoning with broth, lime and salt. Garnish your dish with julienned onions, lettuce, roasted corn, boiled corn, sweet potatoes, etc. Pisco Sour
3 oz. Pisco 1 oz. Sugar syrup or 1 tbsp. of white sugar 1 oz. lime juice 6 ice cubes 1⁄2 oz. egg white Angostura bitter Shake or blend all the ingredients and serve. Make sure you get the frothy texture Decorate with 2 or 3 drops of bitters Chilcano 2 oz. Pisco 1/2 oz. Sugar syrup or 1 tbsp. of white sugar 1 oz. lime juice or 1 oz. Passion fruit juice ice cubes Angostura bitter Serve the ice cubes to the top of the glass, add the Pisco, later the sugar syrup and lime juice. Decorate with one lime slice and aromatize with the bitters.
0 Comments
|
Archives
October 2018
Categories |