Our recipe of the month is Peruvian Chupe de Camarones, a hearty shrimp soup closely associated with the southern city of Arequipa. Combining shrimp, potatoes, corn, rice, and a creamy broth flavored with ají peppers, it is substantial enough to serve as a meal in itself.

Peru's landscape is replete with coastal deserts, the towering Andes, and the tropical forests of the Amazon Basin. These contrasting environments have supported a remarkable variety of regional foods and cooking traditions. Potatoes are indigenous to Peru, and corn (maize) is native to central America. Both have been cultivated in the Andes for thousands of years. With a coastline of more than 1500 miles long, fish and shellfish have always been part of indigenous Peruvians.

Chupe de Camarones is most closely associated with the area in and around the city of Arequipa in southern Peru. The city is nestled in the foothills of the majestic El Misti mountain. Arequipa is a 2- to 3- (depending on conditions) hour drive down the mountains to the Pacific Ocean. Therefore, chupe has traditionally used freshwater shrimp (similar to crayfish) found in the rivers traversing the region, rather than ocean shrimp.

While Chupe de Camarones features several local ingredients, the dish reflects both Indigenous Andean and Spanish food traditions. Potatoes, corn, squash, and ají peppers belong to the Americas; domesticated milk-producing animals came from Europe. Rice also arrived after the Spanish conquest. 

The dish is a specialty of Arequipa's picanterías, traditional eating places that developed from establishments serving chicha, a fermented corn beverage. Their cooking draws on knowledge passed through generations, particularly among the women known as picanteras. Historically, communal tables brought customers together to eat, drink, and exchange news. Recognized as part of Peru's national cultural heritage in 2014, the Arequipa picantería remains an important setting for maintaining the city's culinary traditions.

Cook's Notes:

As mentioned above freshwater shrimp, similar to crayfish, are traditional, but we used ordinary shrimp which are fine. Purchase shell-on shrimp as the shells are used to make the soup's broth. 

Ají panca is a dried Peruvian yellow pepper sauce with a fruity, relatively mild flavor. It is commonly sold as a paste in Latin American markets or can be purchased on Amazon.com. The pepper sauce is used for both taste and color in this dish.

Peruvian choclo (corn) is less sweet than American sweet corn, so it will impart a sweeter taste. Choclo can sometimes be found in Latin American markets.

The amount of rice in this recipe might seem to be too little, but for this soup the rice cooks for longer and absorbs more rice than usual; it's volume will increase substantially.

Note: we prepared this dish for our book club meeting, and, for eating ease, we reduced the stock amount to make more of a stew than a soup and thickened the broth with flour.

Traditional Peruvian Chupe de Camarones often is flavored with a small amount of fresh Huacatay (Southern Cone Marigold leaves). We couldn't find any locally. Huacatay in a jar can be bought online or perhaps in some local Latin stores but should be used more sparingly. You can use spearmint, but it is not quite the same taste.

As noted in some of our other recipes, creating stock from shrimp does not require long simmering. A few minutes will suffice.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound large shell-on raw shrimp
• 3 cups water
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/2 large red onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoon ají panca paste
• 1/2 medium tomato, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 pound potatoes (your choice of kind), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 tablespoons long-grain white rice.
• 1 ear corn, cut crosswise into thick rounds, or 3/4 cup frozen corn kernels
• 1/2 cup shelled, peeled fava beans or frozen green peas
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk, unsweetened (or heavy cream)
• 3 ounces queso fresco, cut into small cubes
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus additional to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon mint chopped fine (optional).
• 1 lime, quartered

Preparation:

1. Peel and devein the shrimp, reserving the shells. Refrigerate the shrimp while preparing the stock. If using head-on shrimp, reserve the heads with the shells.
2. Place the shells and any heads in a saucepan with 1/2 cup of white wine. Bring to a gentle simmer for 3 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve or cheese cloth. Discard the shells.
3. Add water to the strained stock make 3 cups total of liquid.
4. Heat the oil in a medium, heavy pot over medium heat.
5. Add the onion and cook for 3 or 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens.
6. Add the garlic, ají panca paste, oregano, and cumin. Cook for another 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
7. Add the tomato, potatoes, rice, corn rounds, and peas. Simmer gently, partially covered, for 10 to 15 minutes (depending on the potatoes you use).
8. Meanwhile, poach the eggs in a separate saucepan of gently simmering water until the whites are set and the yolks reach your preferred consistency. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate.
9. Add the shrimp to the soup and simmer gently for 3 minutes, until just opaque throughout.
10. Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the evaporated milk, cubed queso fresco, and mint. Heat gently for another 1 minute. The cheese should soften but need not melt completely.

Serve in bowls.  Squeeze a small amount of lime juice over the chupe.  Have a side of warm crusty bread to sop up the delicious broth.

¡Buen provecho!

Recipe by T. Johnston-O'Neill
Photos by Shari K. Johnston-O'Neill