At least once during any Aqua Amazon voyage, usually during the midday heat, our chef invites guests to gather in the air-conditioned Indoor Lounge for a cooking demonstration of Amazonia inspired dishes, perhaps a solterito salad that we prepare on board with Inca corn and wild Andean cilantro. Executive Chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino’s internationally renowned Peruvian fare with flare can be found in From the Kitchens of Aqua Expeditions.

Here we offer a few samples here to try at home:

CAMU CAMU SOUR 

1 glass 

INGREDIENTS 

• 3 ounces pure Pisco Quebranta
• 2 ounces camu camu pulp
• ½ ounce lemon juice
• 1½ ounces simple syrup
• 1 egg white

PREPARATION 

In a cocktail shaker, mix the Pisco with the remaining liquids and egg white. Fill with ice. Shake and strain over a cold tumbler.

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GRILLED PAICHE CEBICHE 

4 servings

INGREDIENTS 

• 1 pound fresh paiche fillets, cut in ¾-inch cubes
• ½ pound red onion, washed and cut in julienne strips
• 1¾ ounces sweet chili cut in julienne strips
• 1½ ounces sachaculantro cut in julienne strips
• 4 charapita chilies, grounded
• Drops lemon juice
• Bijao leaves

Cocona purée

• 2 peeled coconas cut in 4
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• Salt

Tiradito sauce

• 2 charapita chilies, deveined
• 2 cups red onion, chopped thick
• 2 sachaculantro leaves
• ¼ pound fish trimmings, skinned and cleaned
• ½ celery rib, rough chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 cups lime juice
• 1 pinch hondashi
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger
• Salt
• White pepper
• 5 ice cubes 

PREPARATION 

Cocona purée

Cook cocona in boiling water with sugar and salt to taste. Cook until translucent. Remove the cocona from the water, let cool, and blend with olive oil to emulsify. Force through a fine strainer.

Tiradito sauce

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, season with salt, pepper, and hondashi to taste. Put mix in a blender and pulse 3 times.

Do not blend more than necessary. Force through fine strainer. Pour cocona cream and tiradito sauce into a blender and emulsify, add salt to taste, and keep cold.

Assembly 

Place fish, onion, sweet chili, sachaculantro, and charapita chillies in a bowl. Add salt and a few drops of lemon. Mix well.

Pour in cocona purée and mix again.

Place the cebiche on bijao leaves and wrap to make tamales. Make sure the tamales are well sealed to prevent juices from pouring out.

Put the cebiche on the grill and cook for 5 minutes, just until the liquid starts to bubble. Do not overcook, so that the cebiche doesn’t become dry. Place tamale on plate and open upon serving.

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HEN JUANES (AMAZONIAN TAMALES)

4 servings

INGREDIENTS 

• 4 hen legs
• 2¼ cups long grain, starchy glutinous rice
• 3½ ounces sachaculantro, puréed
• 2 pounds onions, chopped
• 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh turmeric
• 2 cups chopped sweet chili, without seeds
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups regular beer
• 1 charapita chili, chopped
• ⅔ cup peas, cooked
• 3½ tablespoons olive oil
• 4 black olives
• 2 eggs
• 1 hard-boiled egg
• 8 bijao leaves
• 1 tablespoon cumin, grounded
• Salt
• Pepper

PREPARATION 

Place the sachaculantro in a blender. Add a cup of water and purée. Reserve.

Season hen legs with salt, pepper, and cumin. In a large frying pan heat half the olive oil.

Brown the legs until skin is golden. Remove from heat. Discard excess fat. Add the onion,

garlic, turmeric, and sweet chili. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until

the onion begins to soften and turn brown. Add legs, puréed sachaculantro, stock, and beer.

Simmer. Lower the heat. Cover and cook until the meat is tender, about 1 hour.

Once cooked, remove the legs from the stew. Debone the legs and take off the skin. Set aside and keep warm.

Taste the stew and adjust salt and pepper if necessary. Measure the liquid. It should be double the amount of rice.

Return the liquid to the skillet. Boil and add rice. Boil again, and lower the heat to minimum. Cover the skillet and simmer gently until rice is cooked, about 18 minutes. Remove cover and turn over the rice with with a kitchen fork.

Cover again, and continue cooking for 5 minutes.

Place the cooked rice in a large bowl. Add charapita chili, the remaining olive oil, and peas. Let it cool. 

Assembly 

Once cool, add the beaten eggs and mix well. Divide rice into 4 equal parts.

To assemble, lightly heat the bijao leaves over the stove flame. This will make them malleable. Form a cross using 2 bijao leaves. Place a portion of rice on the leaves. Add the stewed hen leg, 1 black olive, and ¼ hard-boiled egg. Wrap and tie with string. Steam for about 20 minutes.

Serve either cold or hot.

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