Chupe De Camarones (Shrimp Soup)

Ingredients

14 small potatoes (yellow flesh if available)
5 lb 8 oz (2 ½ k) large shrimps
¾ cup vegetable oil
2 large onions or 3 medium size, chopped
5 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons ketchup
6 tablespoons ají panca* / sundried red aji (chili) paste
2.2 lb (1 k) fava beans
2.2 lb (1 k) peas

3 corns, cut in 2-inch slices
1 ½ cup rice
1 cup evaporated milk
3/4 cup (200 g) fresh farmers cheese (feta), diced
12 eggs
2 teaspoons crushed garlic
½ teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon oregano
Salt
Pepper

Salsa de Rocoto / Red Hot Pepper Sauce: 4 rocotos / red hot pepper
½ cup oil
1 medium size onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup (100 g) fresh farmers cheese (ricotta or feta)
Salt


*Chili grows to 5 inches long and 1 inch wide. The Aji Panca Chili is the second most common Aji variety in Peru and is grown mainly near the coast. This variety measures 3 to 5 inches long and 1 to 1 1/2 inches across. The flesh is medium thick with a berry flavour and fruit overtones. Its aromatic taste makes it superb raw in salsas or salads. It has the same fruit shape and appearance as the Aji Amarillo, but is a deep red to burgundy colour when ripe. (Capsicum baccatum var. pendulum). Served as a condiment, either whole or ground as a paste. It does not have a harsh taste and is a very commonly used condiment in Peruvian cooking. It is also known as Ají Especial.
To obtain a paste: Handle with kitchen gloves. Cut the aji lengthwise, remove stem section, thin membrane and seeds. Wash under running water; rub insides one against the other. Soak in water for 3 hours and boil. Change twice water while boiling. Blend with enough oil to obtain a paste.

Directions

Peel and devein shrimps. Reserve corals, skins and heads. Separate 12 whole shrimps for decoration.

Pour 26 cups of water with salt in a large pan and bring to a boil. Add heads and skins from shrimps and cook covered, at medium heat, for 45 minutes. Cool. Blend or process and strain. Save the stock.

In a large pan, sauté onion, tomato and garlic. Add ketchup, red hot pepper paste, salt, pepper, cumin and the shrimps’ corals. Cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes approximately.

Add stock from shrimps and boil for 15 minutes. Set aside.

In a medium-size pan, cook peeled potatoes with salt in a double boiler or in a small amount of water.

45 minutes before serving, add to boiling stock: rice, fava beans, peas, and corn.

In a medium-size skillet, pour 2 cups of chupe and simmer. Poach eggs in this soup. Several eggs can be cooked at the same time, depending on the size of the skillet. Set aside.

Add shrimp tails, whole shrimps, milk and oregano, when rice and all ingredients are cooked. Wait until shrimps turn pink to serve immediately.

To serve: place cheese and potato on an individual soup bowl. Pour soup and place poached egg and a whole shrimp on top.

Serve with Red Hot Pepper Sauce in a sauceboat.

Salsa de Rocoto / Red Hot Pepper Sauce:
Cut rocotos in halves. Seed and devein. Using gloves, wash rocotos by rubbing one against the other. Soak in water for 8 hours, changing water every hour. Place in pan and boil 3 times changing water each time.

Blend or process rocotos with oil, onion, cheese and salt.

Serve this sauce in a sauceboat.