At Ceiba, sommelier Scott Clime likes to pair the 2007 Torres Vińa Esmeraldo, a moscatel/gewürztraminer blend, with the swordfish anticucho. PHOTO: FREDDE LIEBERMAN
	Peruvian Accents By CAROLE KOTKIN
		Legendary French chef and culinary writer Auguste Escoffier called the cuisine of Peru one of the best in the world, coming after only French and Chinese. Heady company, indeed. Despite the significance of his remark, penned in Le Guide Culinaire in 1903, until very recently Peru's cuisine was largely overlooked, even here in the United States where significant numbers of its citizens have settled. Finally, more than a century after Escoffier's insightful observation, Americans are awakening to Peruvian flavors and influences. "Many [diners are] looking for something new to try," observes Cajamarca, Peruvian native Doris Rodriguez de Platt, who, together with her American-born husband and three sons, owns Andina Restaurant in Portland, Oregon. "In the past, Peruvian cooking was largely an oral tradition, but today young Peruvian chefs are embracing formal culinary educations in some of the finest cooking schools in Peru such as Le Cordon Bleu Lima. They are [then] crisscrossing the globe to spread the word about the elaborate wealth of Peruvian food and its history." Nestled in the Pacific shoulder of South America, Peru encompasses a vast number of microclimates and terrains - from the snow-capped Andes mountains, to the tropical jungle fringing the Amazon River, to 2,000 miles of temperate Pacific coastline. Like the country's best-known signature dish, ceviche - raw fish and/or other seafood marinated in lime juice and usually served with diced pepper, onion, sweet potato, corn and ginger - its cuisine embodies the cultural and ethnic influences that have come to define Peruvian society. So much so that the Peruvian table is the essence of the original fusion food, shaped both by its native population and a colorful tableau of immigrants from Spain, Africa and Asia, and fortified by a wealth of regional ingredients and dishes that provide a direct link to the legendary Incas. While the Inca empire may be better known for its gold, Peru's indigenous Quechuas were (and are) accomplished farmers who grew hundreds of culinary gems: multiple varieties of corn, potatoes, grains like quinoa and chili peppers. Anthropologists estimate that Peruvians have actually been cultivating potatoes for 8,000 years; today they incorporate more than 200 types of tubers in their cooking - from firm-fleshed yellow ones, to waxy reds, mealy whites, sweet-fleshed orange ones and some that are a startling purple. To Peruvians, the potato is not just food. It's entwined in the culture with songs, dances and ceremonies. Called criollo (Creole) cuisine, the most common, modern potato-based dishes are regional variations of papa á la huancaina, sliced potatoes served cold under a blanket of fresh cheese sauce that is turned bright yellow by ají amarillo, Peru's famed pepper (ají meaning chili pepper, amarillo signifying type). Beans provided the protein that potatoes and corn lacked. Lima beans, named after Peru's capital, are among the oldest variety, and can be traced back about 10,000 years. Particularly important to the expansion of the country's pantry were the olives, grapes, garlic and onions introduced in the 16th century by the Spanish conquistadores. The Spaniards also added chickens, cows, goats and pigs to a culture that had previously derived much of its meat protein from cuy, or guinea pig (the latter is eaten to this day in the countryside). African slaves introduced yams and peanuts, and profoundly influenced the development of dishes such as anticuchos (marinated beef heart kebabs) and tacu tacus (a blend of beans, rice and ají amarillo). At Andina, Rodriguez de Platt works closely with her chefs - all of whom come from Peru - to create classic dishes like seco al la nortena, lamb shanks simmered in dark beer and ají amarillo, served with bean stew, rice and salsa criolla. Andina's consulting chef de cuisine, Hernan Castaneda, meanwhile, is the ambassador for novoandina, or "new Andean," cuisine, a modern spin on the country's Andean culinary traditions. For example, he makes truffle oil-spiked risotto of wild Oregon mushrooms with the Peruvian grain quinoa, and serves a Pisco-marinated roast chicken with Peruvian peppers, tomatoes and chickpeas, as well as crispy quinoa-coated potato croquettes and a corn purée. "The restaurant represents our family: two cultures together," Rodriguez de Platt says. "I love to see wonderful Oregon seafood and produce cooked in a Peruvian way. The delicious dishes we make are a tribute to Oregon and to my country of Peru." Andina's wine director and sommelier Ken Collura looks to Peru's classic flavors when composing the 175-bottle wine list. "I let the food tell me what to buy," Collura says. "I favor lighter, crisper, more finesse-driven wines, that better complement the cuisine." In contrast to Andina's distinctive cuisine, Collura's wine picks are wider ranging. "Since Peru has little wine, it's more about finding the right wine to match the food," he says. "It's very clear that South American wines best harmonize with the food and we probably have the finest South American selection anywhere on the West Coast." For example, he suggests a Carmen Petite Sirah from Chile for the lamb shanks. Yet he does not ignore the better-known European regions. For a unique dish like the dorado al rocoto y kion (roasted mahi-mahi layered over an earthy shiitake mushroom, smoked bacon and bok choy broth served with asparagus-quinoa fried rice), Collura favors a crisp Pazo Senorans Albarińo from Spain. About his own backyard, he notes, "We do have about a dozen Oregon Pinots that sell quite well, but I don't believe our customers walk in this door looking for Oregon Pinot." Latino labels - primarily Argentine, Chilean and Spanish - also dominate the wine list at Ceiba in Washington, D.C. While developing the restaurant's South American-inspired menu and cellar, executive chef and co-owner Jeff Tunks embarked on an extensive trip through Peru with his partners to research recipes and gather fodder for "The Inca Trail," a series of Ceiba-hosted cooking classes highlighting the authentic cuisines of Brazil, Cuba, Peru and the Yucatan. When Tunks got his first whiff of the intoxicating aroma of anticucho being grilled by a vendor during that visit, he was instantly inspired to translate the Peruvian street dish, traditionally made with inexpensive cuts of offal, such as beef heart, liver and gizzards, for Ceiba's diners. His tweaked version showcases swordfish marinated with garlic, oil and ají panca that is then threaded on sugarcane skewers, grilled over hot coals and served atop Peruvian-style fried rice with an ají amarillo-soy sauce vinaigrette. Scott Clime, Ceiba's sommelier, suggests pairing the 2007 Torres Vińa Esmeraldo, a blend of moscatel/gewürztraminer from Penedčs, with the swordfish anticucho: "Whites are natural choices for fresh, slightly acidic foods, and the delicate honey fruit in the moscatel is tempered by the spice of gewürztraminer." At posh La Cofradia, in Coral Gables, Florida, executive chef/owner Jean Paul Desmaison serves what he calls a "rustic blend of Mediterranean and Peruvian cooking." The Lima-born Desmaison, who operated La Cofradia (The Brotherhood) restaurant in Lima for seven years before partner Jaime Dickinson lured him north, explains, "Lima is next to the coast and I was inspired by the similarities between the scrupulous freshness of fresh fish and seafood of Peru with that of the Mediterranean." Philosophically, the Le Cordon Bleu Lima-trained chef further notes, "I love the strong, clean, bold flavors of both cuisines. There is always balance. You get some heat, some spice, some acid and some richness." His preparation of risotto del Cofrade, a mélange of Italian rice with ají amarillo paste topped with a grilled Florida lobster tail in a coral cream sauce, deftly embodies these precepts. Liberal seasoning, spicy flavors and unusual ingredients could present a wine-paring challenge, but Desmaison and La Cofradia's manager/sommelier Kareem Zarwi have found plenty of matches in both Old and New World vineyards. Zarwi likes to showcase the restaurant's traditional Peruvian ceviche of lemon sole, octopus and shrimp with a 2005 Graacher-Himmelreich Spätlese Riesling from Germany's S.A. Prüm. "The sweetness and low alcohol of the Riesling tones down the spice of the 'leche de tigre,' the ceviche marinade made with fresh lime juice, ginger, celery, garlic and ají limo, and stands up to the seafood in the dish," he explains. For the aforementioned signature risotto del Cofrade, Zarwi enlists Jean-Luc Colombo's 2004 La Belle du May, a 100 percent roussanne from the Northern Rhône. "This extremely aromatic and full-bodied wine has the acidity and balance to stand up to the cream sauce [without overwhelming it]," Zarwi says. He also likes to pour Champagne with this dish. "Especially those from producers who barrel-ferment their [juice], such as Billecart-Salmon, Gosset and Krug," he notes. In restaurants like Miami's La Cofradia and elsewhere, many of those who spend their time cooking in the back of the house are immigrants from Central and South American countries. While worldly goods were sometimes left behind, each carried with them their enduring culinary heritage. The legacy of the indigenous foods of their home countries often filter onto menus, explains Michelle Bernstein, chef-owner of Michy's in Miami and MB in Cancun, Mexico, and consulting chef at Michelle's at Carysfort at the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo. "I fell in love with the fresh flavors and the pristine presentations of Peruvian cooking when I was introduced to it by one of my Peruvian cooks, Miguel Puelles, many years ago," says the 2008 James Beard "Best Chefs/South" award winner. "Miguel inspired me to go to Peru. Although my palate is pretty in tune with Latin flavors, I was amazed at what I discovered. In Lima and Machu Picchu, the trout tasted as if it jumped out of the water and onto the plate. The most important part of cooking Peruvian food in the U.S. is finding the freshest fish and seafood possible." Awakening palates with their citrus perfume and acidic tang, ceviche concoctions are ideal vehicles for local Florida seafood, such as shrimp and snapper of every stripe, that Bernstein can readily source. "In Peruvian cevicherias, the seafood is marinated at the very last minute; here, we marinate longer to please the American palate. We sell out of it most nights. The fish comes in the back door and out the front in a matter of hours," she says. Native chilies, such as ají amarillo, ají rocoto and ají panca - sold most often in dried or paste form - are more widely available these days, too. Consequently, she can purchase Peruvian products in Miami (as well as on-line) for her chupe de mariscos, or as she calls it in Cuisine ŕ Latina, her soon-to-be-released cookbook, "My Latina Bouillabaisse." At Michy's, the chupe is flavored with hot peppers, evaporated milk, corn and sweet potatoes; just before serving, lightly beaten eggs are stirred into the delicious, intensely flavored seafood stew. Sommelier Allegra Angelo says Canalicchio di Sopra 2003 Rosso di Montalcino makes a splendid Italian pairing for this complex, Latina composition. "The Rosso, with its lovely, sweet tomato-cherry flavors, is great with mariscos," she enthuses. Angelo turns to France for the 2005 Marc Deschamps Pouilly-Fumé Les Porcheronnes that she prefers to offer with the house ceviche. "The racy lemon-lime acidity of the Pouilly-Fumé matches the acidity of Michelle's ceviche, but is not overbearing." This pairing works sublimely, and is even geographically apt as well. After Peru's independence was declared in 1821, a new wave of European immigrants introduced Italian and French twists. The Chinese arrived toward mid-century to work on sugar and cotton plantations, and brought along with them soy sauce and fresh ginger, as well as stir-fry cooking, creating an amalgam cuisine known today in Peru as chifa. An influx of Japanese in the early 1900s, also drawn by the promise of work as farmers, added a love of seafood and artful techniques for simple and beautiful preparations; some of these new citizens opened cevicherias (small stands specializing in marinated foods) and helped shape nikkei, or second-generation Japanese cuisine. > Tiradito, a cross between ceviche and sashimi in which raw white fish is cut paper-thin, drizzled with yuzu and lemon juice and enlivened with ají rocoto paste and cilantro, is a dish favored by Nobu Matsuhisa, chef-owner of the Nobu and Matsuhisa worldwide restaurant empire. This nikkei proponent learned Peruvian crossover firsthand when, as a young man in the 1970s, he spent four years running a sushi restaurant in Lima. "My food is based on Japanese cuisine, but I have incorporated Peruvian, South American and Western influences in my cooking," Matsuhisa says. "Having lived in Peru and eaten like the locals there, I came to appreciate ingredients like chili, garlic and cilantro. I started experimenting and over the years developed my cooking style, which is still evolving." Matsuhisa also includes several different ceviches and anticuchos on his menus, though he makes modifications for his American clientele. "In Peru, you use cow hearts for anticucho, and people eat it in the street,'' he says. "We have beef, chicken, scallops, shrimp [and more] on skewers and serve it with anticucho sauces.'' > To knit together the multiple influences in Matsuhisa's tiradito, beverage director Santiago Rodriguez recommends a rosé Champagne. "My personal choice is Gosset Grande Rosé, a blend of chardonnay and pinot noir that dances with the citrus and spicy flavors of the dish," he notes. For the antichuchos, "The black pepper, leather and boysenberry bouquet and the juicy berry and cherry fruit flavors flowing on a wave of dense tannins in Marques de Grińon Dominio de Valdepusa Petit Verdot work in perfect harmony with all the spices," he says. In documenting the blending of Old World and New World food during the period when the Spanish and Portuguese colonized the Western Hemisphere, Raymond Sokolov, author of the seminal 1991 volume Why We Eat What We Eat, wrote that "Peru's traditional dishes comprise the last great cuisine undiscovered by a world gone mad for new tastes.'' And because it is, by its nature, so very diverse and captivating, now that it has been discovered, no one seems to find it necessary to molecularly reinvent it - which only adds to its authentic, international appeal. Food Editor Carole Kotkin manages the Ocean Reef Club Cooking School in Key Largo; is a syndicated columnist for McClatchey Publishing; is co-author of Mmmmiami; and co-hosts Food & Wine Talk, which can be heard on www.southfloridagourmet.com. RECIPES White Fish Tiradito, Nobu Style From Chef Nobu Matsuhisa of Nobu 18 ounces red snapper fillets Ají rocoto paste Cilantro leaves, stems removed 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon yuzu juice 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons lemon juice Sea salt to taste Cut fish into paper-thin slices and plate. Put a cilantro leaf and a small dollop of ají rocoto paste on each slice. Drizzle the yuzu and lemon juice over all. Sprinkle liberally with sea salt; the flavor of this dish depends on the salt, so if too little is used it will taste bland. Serves 4 Shrimp, Octopus and Lemon Sole Ceviche Adapted from Chef Jean Paul Desmaison of La Cofradia 1 cup lime juice 1/4 cup chopped celery 1" piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated 1/2 ají limo (substitute habanero) Salt and pepper to taste 8 large shrimp, peeled 1 quart water 1/4 cup dry white wine 1 bay leaf 8 ounces lemon sole fillet, cut into squares 8 ounces cooked octopus, cut into rounds 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro 1/2 red onion, sliced thin 1 cup cooked Peruvian corn (choclo) or hominy 2 sweet potatoes, boiled, peeled and cut into thick rounds In a blender, purée lime juice with celery, ginger, ají limo and salt. Strain and reserve. Blanche the shrimp in water, white wine and bay leaf. In a bowl, mix shrimp, sole and octopus with juice and add chopped cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. Add onions, mix and arrange in the middle of a plate. Garnish with Peruvian corn and sweet potato. Note: If the ceviche is too strong or citric, add a bit of fish fumet or sugar. Serves 4 Seafood Ceviche From Chef Michelle Bernstein of Michy's 1 tablespoon Old Bay Crab Boil Bowl with ice water 8 shrimp, cleaned and deveined 2 ounces baby octopus or calamari, cleaned and cut into 1/4 " pieces 6 large bay scallops, cleaned 8 clams 6 ounces snapper, skinned and cut into bite-size pieces Bring a medium pot of water with one tablespoon of crab boil to a boil. Add shrimp, cook for 1 minute and place in ice water. Add calamari, cook for 5 seconds and place in ice water. Add bay scallops, cook for 10 seconds and place in ice water. Add clams, cook just until opened and set aside. Discard water. Cut shrimp in quarters and halve scallops. Add snapper and mix. For the Ceviche Mix: 2 tablespoons ginger, peeled and minced 1 tablespoon habanero or scotch bonnet chili, without seeds 1/4 cup celery, 1/4" diced 1 tablespoon kosher salt 1 red onion, sliced paper thin 1 cup cilantro, roughly chopped Juice of 8 limes Combine the ginger, habanero, celery and salt with the seafood. Mix well and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Add onions, cilantro and lime juice and chill for about 30 minutes before serving. Serves 6 Papas ŕ la Huancaina From Jeff Tunks of Ceiba 2 tablespoons blended olive oil 5 ají amarillos, seeded, deveined and chopped 1/2 chopped red onion 1 teaspoon minced garlic 3-4 Saltine crackers 1/2 pound fresh white cheese 1 cup evaporated milk 4 hard boiled large eggs, divided Salt to taste Juice of 1 Key lime, divided Blended oil, for desired consistency 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 cup julienned red onion 6 Yukon potatoes, boiled 4-6 leaves Bibb lettuce cups Peruvian black olives, for garnish In a medium sauté pan, heat blended olive oil and sauté ají amarillos, onion and garlic over medium heat for about 3 minutes, or until onion is translucent. Transfer mixture to a blender. Blend together with crackers, cheese, milk, 1 cooked egg and salt. Add half of the Key lime juice and emulsify with blended oil to achieve a smooth consistency. Let sauce cool to room temperature. Drizzle julienned onion with remaining Key lime juice and olive oil. Season with salt. Place cooked potatoes (halved, if desired) in lettuce cup. Ladle sauce over top and garnish with remaining eggs (quartered), olives and onion relish. Serves 4-6 Chupe de Mariscos From Chef Michelle Bernstein of Michy's 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 cup red onion, minced 1/4 cup red bell pepper, minced 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon ají rocoto paste 1 cup dry Spanish sherry 4 cups fish broth 1/2 cup evaporated milk 1 pound large shrimp (about 12), peeled and deveined 8 clams 12 mussels 4 (4-ounce) pieces of white fish 4 diver scallops 1/2 cup fresh corn kernels 1/2 cup peeled sweet potato, 1/4" dice 2 large eggs, at room temperature, beaten 1/4 cup beefsteak tomatoes, 1/4" dice 1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves and stems In a wide, heavy-bottomed pot, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add onion, red peppers, yellow peppers, garlic, chili paste and cook, stirring until the vegetables are softened but not browned, about 4 minutes. Pour in sherry, bring to a simmer and cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Add fish broth, return mixture to a simmer and cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Stir in evaporated milk and continue cooking until mixture becomes a bit thicker, 3-4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep broth on low heat. Add clams, allowing to cook for 4-5 minutes before adding the rest of the seafood, corn and sweet potatoes. Slightly shake the pan until seafood and vegetables are fully cooked. Using a slotted spoon, divide seafood and vegetables into 4 bowls. > Stir eggs into broth; they will form ribbons as they cook, about 1 minute. Spoon broth with the egg over seafood in the bowls. Garnish with diced tomato and cilantro. Serves 4 to 6 Yellow Chili Risotto & Florida Lobster Tail Adapted from Chef Jean Paul Desmaison of La Cofradia For the Risotto: 2 tablespoons yellow onions, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 11/2 cups Arborio rice 1/2 cup dry white wine 2 cups lobster broth or clam juice 4 tablespoons ají amarillo paste 1/4 cup heavy cream 3/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese 2 tablespoons butter Salt Brown onions with garlic in olive oil. Add rice and white wine and stir. Add ají amarillo paste and begin to incorporate the lobster broth or clam juice, little by little. When rice is almost cooked, add the heavy cream. At the end, add Parmigiano-Reggiano and butter. Season with salt. To plate, center risotto on dish, place lobster tail on top and drizzle sauce around risotto. Serves 4 For the Sauce: 1/4 cup brandy 1/4 cup dry white wine 3 cups lobster stock (recipe below) 1 cup heavy cream 2 tablespoons unsalted butter Salt Reduce brandy and white wine. Add lobster stock and reduce more. Halfway through, incorporate heavy cream and butter and continue reducing until it's the consistency of a sauce. Taste for seasoning. For the Lobster Tail: 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 3 cloves garlic, chopped 4 lobster tails, 4-6 ounces each, shelled 1/3 cup dry white wine Salt In a large, oven-proof skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Sauté garlic for a few minutes. Add lobster tails and sauté for 3 minutes on each side. Add white wine and finish in the oven at 350° for 4-5 minutes. For the Lobster Stock: 1/4 cup olive oil 1 tablespoon butter 2 cups mixed vegetables (celery, carrots, leeks and onions) 4 lobster heads, cleaned 1/4 cup brandy 2 bay leaves 13/4 quarts water In a pot, heat olive oil and butter and brown vegetables. Add lobster heads and cook until they change color to pink. Add brandy; after alcohol evaporates, add bay leaves and water. Cook and let stock reduce to about 1 quart; strain and reserve. Dorado Al Rocoto Y Kion Adapted from Andina Restaurant 20 shiitake mushrooms 4 cups chicken broth 8 baby bok choy, blanched and halved Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 11/2 pounds mahi-mahi, portioned into 4 servings 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 tablespoons ají rocoto, minced 4 green onions, fine julienne 1 2-inch piece peeled fresh ginger, fine julienne 4 teaspoons toasted hot sesame oil Simmer shiitakes in the chicken broth until tender, add bok choy and taste for seasoning. Season fish with salt and freshly ground pepper. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Add fish, turning once, until browned, about 7-8 minutes. Place bok choy, shiitakes and broth in center of a deep bowl; place fish on top. Top fish with ají rocoto, green onion and ginger. Splash hot sesame oil on top. Serve with Fried Quinoa Rice. For the Fried Quinoa Rice: 1 teaspoon vegetable oil 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 teaspoon minced ginger 4 stalks asparagus, cut in small dice 1/4 cup white quinoa, cooked 1/4 cup black quinoa, cooked 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil 2 cups white rice, cooked Salt and pepper to taste Heat vegetable oil in a wok. Cook garlic and ginger add asparagus. Add grains and stir-fry on high heat. Add sesame oil. Add cooked rice and stir well. Season with salt and pepper. Serves 4 Pollito al Pisco Adapted from Andina Restaurant For the Marinade: 4 skinless chicken breast halves, with bones 1/2 cup Pisco 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 cup salt 1 ají amarillo, cut in half 3 cloves garlic, crushed 2 bay leaves Water to cover chicken Combine all ingredients in a deep baking dish; marinate overnight. For the Roast Chicken: 2 tablespoons vegetable oil Heat oven to 400°. In a large oven-proof frying pan, heat oil over medium high heat. Remove chicken breasts from marinade, pat dry and add to pan. Cook, turning once, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes per side. Place in oven to finish cooking, about 5 minutes. Serve with Salsa Chorillana. For the Salsa Chorillana: 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 medium white onion, sliced thin 1 tablespoon ají panca paste 1 medium red bell pepper, fine julienne 2 tablespoons finely diced ají rocoto pods Salt and pepper to taste 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 1 #2 can San Marzano tomatoes 1 bay leaf 1/2 cup cooked or canned garbanzo beans, drained 1 sprig rosemary Sugar to taste In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Sauté garlic for 2 minutes. Add onions, cooking until light brown. Add ají panca paste and sauté for 2 minutes. Add red peppers and ají rocoto and cook for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Deglaze with red wine vinegar and cook until it forms a paste. Add tomatoes, bay leaf and garbanzos. Let stew 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add rosemary and season with sugar; set aside. Serves 4 - CK

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