Liz was only in Lima for two days but, of course, we had to take her to Señor Cuy!
Susana, Carlos, Willy, Juancho, Toya, Ceci, Betty, Liz
Susana, Carlos, Willy, Juancho, Toya, Ceci, Betty, LizWe arranged to go on Tuesday and were joined by other family members and friends. As I had already eaten there previously, I decided to opt for a combination of flavours that I had not yet tried.
After the obligatory pisco sour, I decided -on Juancho's recommendation- to start with the fiambre de jamón serrano, which was comprised of slices of ham from Huaraz (a region well-known for its hams) over potatoes and topped with salsa criolla. I was very happy that I took Juancho's advice with this dish.
Fiambre de jamón serrano
Papa a la huancaínaKnowing that I'd get to try it, I convinced Liz to order the papa a la huancaína. Papa a la huancaína is a dish developed in Huancayo which consists of potatoes smothered in an ají and cheese sauce, which has become a standard of Peruvian cuisine. At Señor Cuy the papa a la huancaína is prepared the old-fashioned way, in a mortar. This method of preparation gives the dish a thicker, richer consistency and allows the cheese to stand out more than when its is prepared with an electric blender as is more usual these days.
Uchu cuy cusqueño
For my main dish, I opted for the Uchu cuy cusqueño in which the guinea pig is fried and then simmered in spicy sauce of ají, cilantro and parsley in the style of Cusco, and served with potatoes and rice. The flesh was tender and the subsequent simmering had removed the oilyness that one can sometimes get when the guinea pig is simply fried.
I washed this down with a tall glass of chicha de jora, or Andean corn beer.
Jora is sprouted corn. The jora is boiled and then allowed to ferment in water, which sometimes includes spices such as cloves or cinnamon, or fruit such as pineapple. Chicha de jora is a traditional Andean drink which has been made for thousands of years. There are some bottled versions but they suck, and most chicha de jora is made artisanly, for which reason I rarely partake of it. Not having to worry about health issues here, I enjoyed every drop.
Picante de cuy huanuqueño
Liz, on my recommendation, selected a quarter of a guinea pig in the style of Huanuco. In this instance the guinea pig is simmered in a sauce of ají, peanuts, and green onions, and served with boiled potatoes which have been rolled in the sauce. Liz doesn't usually eat cuy, but she enjoyed this one, although having ordered only a quarter she did not get as much meat as she would have liked.
My uncle Willy, one of the owners of the restaurant, joined us for lunch. He had the Arequipa-style cuy chaqtado, which is served with white potatoes and salsa criolla. In this preparation the cuy is deep-fried until it is crispy and the bones crunchy.
Cuy chaqtado arequipeño
Uchu cuy cusqueñoFor my main dish, I opted for the Uchu cuy cusqueño in which the guinea pig is fried and then simmered in spicy sauce of ají, cilantro and parsley in the style of Cusco, and served with potatoes and rice. The flesh was tender and the subsequent simmering had removed the oilyness that one can sometimes get when the guinea pig is simply fried.
I washed this down with a tall glass of chicha de jora, or Andean corn beer.
Jora is sprouted corn. The jora is boiled and then allowed to ferment in water, which sometimes includes spices such as cloves or cinnamon, or fruit such as pineapple. Chicha de jora is a traditional Andean drink which has been made for thousands of years. There are some bottled versions but they suck, and most chicha de jora is made artisanly, for which reason I rarely partake of it. Not having to worry about health issues here, I enjoyed every drop.
Picante de cuy huanuqueñoLiz, on my recommendation, selected a quarter of a guinea pig in the style of Huanuco. In this instance the guinea pig is simmered in a sauce of ají, peanuts, and green onions, and served with boiled potatoes which have been rolled in the sauce. Liz doesn't usually eat cuy, but she enjoyed this one, although having ordered only a quarter she did not get as much meat as she would have liked.
My uncle Willy, one of the owners of the restaurant, joined us for lunch. He had the Arequipa-style cuy chaqtado, which is served with white potatoes and salsa criolla. In this preparation the cuy is deep-fried until it is crispy and the bones crunchy.
Cuy chaqtado arequipeñoAll in all, another memorable meal at a truly unique establishment.
No comments:
Post a Comment