Readers of this blog know that back in October, I spent
about a week and half in Peru, hiking to Machu Picchu, and noshing my way
across Lima and Cusco. Inspired to bring part of my gastronomic adventure to my
friends, I volunteered to open my home, and my kitchen, to one of my meetup
groups for a Peruvian dinner.
My
contributions to the evening were ceviche and pisco sour, two of the most prevalent
menu items I experienced. In Peru, the best ceviche was in Lima, made from a
cart outside of a local fresh market. White fleshed fish, swimming the day
before, sat filleted in chunks in a bowl. The man behind the cart deftly
squeezed the tiny Peruvian limes into the bowl, spooning in dollops of cilantro
and red onion, “cooking” the fish, created the acidic base known and “leche de
tigre.” Doing my best impersonation, I cut both tilapia and raw shrimp into a
large mixing bowl. With the same additions, and a bit of slivered serrano
pepper, I let the concoction marinate in the refrigerator for about an hour
before stacking the seafood into a fluted cup, adorned with boiled potatoes. The
fish retained its original delicate flavor, yet was accented with a mildly
sweet acidity from the lime. The herbaceous flavors added a green and almost
bitter note. The fish had firmed and become opaque from the acid, but was still
soft and pliant, the texture of sushi grade salmon. After service, I retrieved shot
glasses from my bar and poured small drafts of the tiger milk which where, with
a loud cheers to our health, knocked back. The cloudy liquid was swimming with
the remnants of green peppers, cilantro, and red onion. Its heavy acidity was
tinted with fish flavors, burning slightly on the way down.
Washing
my hands, I switched gears to the cocktail portion of the evening. Similarly
ubiquitous, the pisco sour was offered on every drink menu across the country.
Made from Pisco, a clear, grape-based spirit, lime juice, simple syrup, and an
egg white, the final concoction is shaken with ice to a frothy finish in the
glass. An appropriate counterpart to the ceviche, the pisco sour is both tart
and sweet, the spirit bringing body and strength but also losing some its own
character in the acidity.
The
rest of the evening was a smorgasbord of corn-based salads, potato laden soups,
and swoons of exotic food pleasure.
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