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Olluquito con charqui
Olluquito con charqui — Andean stew of julienned olluco tubers with shredded dried beef and ají panca
Olluco is a glossy yellow-and-pink tuber grown high in the Andes, crunchy when raw and silky when cooked, and in Lima's market eateries it is cut into fine matchsticks and stewed with charqui, sun-dried meat that was the travel food of Inca messengers. The dish is gently spiced with ají panca and finished with fresh parsley, and it is always served with white rice. Latin shops sell olluco in jars; if you can't find it, firm new potatoes or courgette give a similar texture, and beef brisket stands in well for charqui. Chef's tip: cut the olluco and rinse it well; the slippery sap washes off and the stew won't turn slimy.
- Total time
- 95 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: If using charqui, soak it in plenty of cold water in the fridge for at least 8 hours, changing the water twice, to draw out the salt.
Step 2: Drain the charqui, cover with fresh water and simmer for 40 minutes until soft enough to pull apart. If using brisket, simmer it in salted water for 60–70 minutes until very tender. Drain, keep 200 ml of the water, and shred finely.
45 minStep 3: Cut fresh 1 ¾ lb olluco into thin 5 cm matchsticks and rinse in cold water until the water runs clear; jarred olluco just needs draining and rinsing. Common mistake: skipping the rinse, which leaves the stew sticky.
10 minStep 4: Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a wide pan over a medium heat. Fry 1 red onion for 8 minutes until soft and golden, then add 3 cloves garlic, 2 tbsp ají panca paste, 1 tbsp ají amarillo paste, ½ tsp ground cumin and ½ tsp dried oregano and fry for 3 minutes until fragrant and brick-red.
11 minStep 5: Add the shredded 7 oz charqui (dried beef) and fry for 3 minutes so it soaks up the spices.
3 minStep 6: Add the olluco, 1 ¾ cups beef stock, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp ground black pepper. Cover and simmer gently for 15–20 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the olluco is tender but still holds its shape and most of the liquid has gone.
20 minStep 7: Taste for salt, stir in ½ oz flat-leaf parsley and serve with 1 ⅓ lb cooked white rice.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 30 g
- Carbs
- 72 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does olluquito con charqui take?
- About 95 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 70 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of red onion?
- White onion or shallots, same amount (soak raw onion in cold water for 10 minutes to soften it).
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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