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1
Build the Flavour Base
8 Minutes
Medium heat, about 160°C (320°F)
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until soft and translucent, then stir in the garlic, tomato and aji amarillo paste. Cook for 3 more minutes, stirring, until the tomato has softened and the paste smells fragrant.
Do not rush this base — the onion, tomato and aji cooked together are what give the broth its colour and depth.
Done when: The onion is soft and sweet-smelling, the tomato has broken down, and the whole base is stained golden-orange by the aji.
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2
Simmer the Vegetables and Rice
20 Minutes
Gentle simmer, about 95°C (200°F)
Pour in the water, add the potatoes, corn, broad beans and rice, and season with half the salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a steady simmer and cook for 20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the rice is cooked.
Keep the simmer gentle — a hard boil will break the potatoes apart and cloud the broth.
Done when: A potato chunk crushes easily against the side of the pot, and the rice grains are tender with no chalky centre.
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3
Add the Milk and Prawns
4 Minutes
Low heat, about 85°C (185°F); prawns cooked to 63°C (145°F)
Turn the heat down to low and stir in the milk — do not let the soup boil again, or the milk may split. Add the prawns in a single layer and cook for 3–4 minutes, turning once, until they are pink and opaque all the way through.
Prawns overcook in a minute — as soon as they turn pink, move on to the eggs. A C shape is perfect; an O shape means overcooked.
Done when: Every prawn is pink and curled into a C shape, with no grey or translucent flesh left in the middle.
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4
Poach the Eggs and Melt the Cheese
5 Minutes
Lowest heat, about 85°C (185°F)
Slide the eggs gently into the soup one at a time, spacing them apart. Cover the pot and cook on the lowest heat for 4–5 minutes, until the whites are fully set and the yolks are just firm. Stir in the crumbled cheese and the remaining salt, then taste and adjust.
Do not stir once the eggs are in — stirring breaks them up. Let the heat do the work, covered.
Done when: The egg whites are completely white and set, the yolks are firm at the edges, and the cheese has melted into the broth.
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5
Rest and Serve
3 Minutes
Serve hot, about 70°C (158°F)
Take the pot off the heat and rest it for 3 minutes. Ladle into deep bowls, making sure each bowl gets prawns, potato and an egg. Scatter over the parsley and oregano and serve immediately.
Serve the chupe the moment it is ready — the eggs keep cooking in the hot broth, and a few minutes too long turns the yolks hard.
Done when: The broth is steaming, the cheese is melted through, and each bowl has a whole egg sitting in the middle of the soup.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Ladle the chowder into deep bowls, making sure each bowl gets prawns, potato and an egg. Scatter over the parsley and serve immediately, while the broth is steaming and the cheese is still melting into it.
Peru
35m
