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Pisca andina
Pisca andina: Mérida's milky breakfast broth with potato, coriander, egg and fresh cheese
On cold mornings in Mérida, roadside cafés on the way up to the páramo serve pisca: a pale broth of potato, spring onion and coriander, enriched with milk, with an egg poached in each bowl and cubes of fresh white cheese melting at the bottom. Andean families eat it with a wheat arepa to dip. This version is meat-free; many homes start from chicken stock. Fresh white cheese is often set with animal rennet, so choose a vegetarian one if needed. The mistake to avoid is boiling hard once the milk goes in, which makes the broth split. Chef's tip: put the cheese in the empty bowls and ladle the hot soup over it, so it softens without turning stringy.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- ½ oz butter
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 2 cloves garliccrushed
- 4 spring onionssliced, white and green kept apart
- 14 oz potatoesfloury, peeled, 1.5 cm cubes
- 5 cups water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup whole milk
- 4 eggs
- ½ oz fresh corianderchopped
- 5 ½ oz fresh white cheese1 cm cubes; vegetarian if needed
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Melt ½ oz butter in a pan over a medium heat and soften 1 onion, 2 cloves garlic and the white part of 4 spring onions for 5 minutes, until translucent.
5 minStep 3: Lower the heat so the broth barely trembles and stir in 1 cup whole milk. Crack 4 eggs one at a time into the broth, spaced apart, and poach for 4 minutes, until the whites are set and the yolks still soft.
5 minStep 4: Divide 5 ½ oz fresh white cheese between four bowls. Lift an egg into each, ladle the broth and potatoes over, and scatter with ½ oz fresh coriander and the green spring onion.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 16 g
- Carbs
- 22 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pisca andina take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 25 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 vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- 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 butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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