Day of the Creole song: 5 homemade stews to celebrate this party accordingly

Who hasn’t come home after a long day and been enveloped in a delicious aroma coming from the kitchen? Creole stews, known for their delicious dressing, are an important part of our gastronomy and nothing better than preparing them to accompany the celebration for the Day of the Creole song. That’s why, Advantage presents five recipes you can enjoy at home.

Before, we consider it necessary to talk with Joseph Del Castillochef and promoter of Creole cuisine, who tells us a little about what a stew is and why it is important to celebrate and recover the tradition of preparing them at home.

“The stew belongs to the Creole food of the different regions of Peru. They have in common that a good dressing is prepared with garlic and onions, which are the base. In Creole cuisine, the yellow pepper is one of the bases as well. But it all depends on the area, that is, small variations of ingredients are made depending on whether you are in the north, in Lima or the mountains, for example,” says the chef of the La Red and Isolina Taberna Peruana restaurants.

For Del Castillo, unfortunately, the custom of cooking and especially stewing is gradually being lost due, among other reasons, to the rush of work and the speed of life. But, as he explains, it is the job of the cultivators and defenders of traditional cuisine to promote the preparation of stews. “In order to continue creating (as chefs) it is important to take care of our tradition, because that is where everything starts. Creole cuisine is a very important part of our legacy and history”, he affirms.

If you dare to cook for this Creole party and flood your space with delicious smells that whet everyone’s appetite, we present the perfect recipes to do so:

Spicy shrimp and prawns

Ingredients

• 3.4kg medium shrimp
• 400 g shrimp tails
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/2 tbsp. ground mirasol chili
• 1/2 tbsp. ground panca chili
• 1 cup shrimp broth
• 1/2 cup cooked peas
• 4 boiled yellow potatoes, cubed
• 1/2 tbsp. chopped coriander
• 1/2 tbsp. Chinese onion, green part, chopped
• salt and pepper

Preparation

Clean shrimp and prawns. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and fry the shrimp for three minutes, until the coral has browned and changed color. Add the peppers, mix and brown for two minutes. Pour the broth, stir and cook for three minutes until it comes to a boil. Add the peas, potatoes, cilantro and spring onion. Stir and cook for a few more minutes. Get out of the fire. Serve with white rice and Creole sauce.

Carapulcra

Ingredients

• 1/4kg pig meat
• 1/4kg sheep meat
• 1/4kg chicken
• 1 cup dry potato
• 5 butter donuts
• 3 tbsp. oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 tbsp. minced garlic
• 3 tbsp. ground panca chili
• 1/2 cup ground roasted peanuts
• 1/4 cup sweet wine
• 2 boiled potatoes in cubes
• 8 olives
• 2 boiled eggs
• salt, pepper and cumin

Preparation

Boil the pork, lamb and chicken in salted water and reserve the meat and broth. Lightly toast the dried potato in a skillet and mix with the ground shortbread doughnuts. Separately, heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onion, garlic, panca chili, roasted peanuts and sweet wine. Season with salt, pepper and cumin. Add the meats in pieces with two cups of their own broth and the dry roasted potato, stirring well. Cook for 35 minutes, until the dried potato is cooked. Add broth if necessary. Finally, add the parboiled potatoes. Garnish the dish in which the carapulcra is served with olives and sliced ​​boiled eggs.

Cau cau of tripe

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp. oil
• 3 tbsp. chopped mint
• 1/2 cup peas
• 3 1/2 cups. cooked tripe, cubed
• 4 cups chicken soup
• 3 cups cubed white potato
• 1/2 cup ground yellow pepper
• 1 tsp. toothpick
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 tbsp. minced garlic
• salt and pepper

Preparation

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion, and fry for five minutes. Add the toothpick and chili, season with salt and pepper, and sauté for three more minutes. Add the potatoes, the broth and cook for 10 minutes. Add the tripe and peas and cook for 10 more minutes. Sprinkle the peppermint off the heat. Serve the cau cau and accompany with rice.

Arequipa marinade

Ingredients

• 2 onions to the pen
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 tbsp. panca chili cream
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 2 sprigs of oregano
• 2 bay leaves
• 8 veneer peppercorns
• 1 1/2 cups. chicha de jora
• 2 tbsp. red vinegar
• 1kg pork leg in pieces
• 3 tbsp. annatto oil
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 2 tsp. meat broth
• salt and pepper

Preparation

Mix the onion, garlic, chili, cumin, oregano, bay leaf, slightly crushed pepper, chicha de jora and vinegar in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add the pieces of meat, spread them with the marinade and leave to rest in the refrigerator.

In a saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil and sauté the paprika. Arrange the pieces of meat and pour in the maceration liquid and broth. Stir, cover the pot and cook for 40 minutes to an hour, until the meat is tender. Rectify the seasoning. Remove oregano sprigs and bay leaves. Serve in a deep dish with its juices and accompany with bread.

Ajiaco of potatoes and beans

Ingredients

• 300g yellow potato
• 200 g huamantanga potato
• 200 g huayro potato
• 4 tbsp. oil
• 1 chopped onion
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 tsp. cumin
• 2 tbsp. mirasol chili cream
• 2 tbsp. yellow chilli cream
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 150 g pumpkin in cubes
• 1 sprig of mint
• 1 branch of chinchilla
• 1 branch of huacatay
• 1 1/2 cups meat broth
• 350 g green beans, cooked and peeled
• 1/2 cup milk cream
• 180 g Serrano goat cheese
• 1 tbsp. chopped mint
• salt and pepper

Preparation

Boil the potatoes in salted water. Peel them, cut them into cubes and reserve them. Heat the oil in a pot and brown the onion together with the garlic. Add cumin, chili creams and paprika. Saute for three minutes. Add the pumpkin, the branches of aromatic herbs and pour in the broth. Season and cook for a few minutes, until the squash is tender.

Add the potatoes and add more broth if necessary. Remove by pressing the potatoes a little with the help of a wooden spoon. Add the beans, cream and crumbled cheese. After six minutes, correct the seasoning. Remove from heat, sprinkle with minced mint and serve with rice.