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Cau cau
Cau cau: tender tripe and potatoes in a yellow ají amarillo and turmeric sauce with fresh mint
Cheap, filling and deeply loved, cau cau is a lunchtime staple at Lima's menú restaurants and market comedores, served with white rice. Pieces of honeycomb tripe are simmered until soft, then stewed with diced potato in a golden sauce of ají amarillo, garlic and turmeric, finished with a fistful of mint (hierbabuena) that freshens the richness. The texture is soft and slightly springy, the sauce mild, warm and herby. Buy tripe from a butcher or Latin, Asian or halal shop already cleaned and blanched (white honeycomb); it must be simmered until fully tender and cooked through. The common mistake is undercooking the tripe: if it squeaks between your teeth it needs longer. Chef's tip: cut the potatoes small and let some of them break up at the end; they thicken the sauce naturally.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the tripe
For the stew
To serve
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Rinse 1 ¾ lb honeycomb beef tripe well under cold water. Put it in a large pan with 1 lime and 2 bay leaves, cover with cold water and bring to the boil, then skim.
Step 2: Simmer, partly covered, until the tripe is very tender and a fork goes in easily. Drain, cool slightly and cut into 1.5 cm squares.
75 minStep 3: Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a heavy pan over a medium heat and fry 1 red onion and 4 garlic cloves until soft and golden.
7 minStep 4: Stir in 3 tbsp ají amarillo paste, 1 tsp ground turmeric and ½ tsp ground cumin and fry until the paste turns deep yellow and smells fruity.
3 minStep 5: Add the tripe, 1 ⅓ lb waxy potatoes and 2 cups beef or chicken stock, season with 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper and simmer, covered, until the potatoes are soft and a few have broken into the sauce.
15 minStep 6: Stir in 3 ½ oz frozen peas and cook for 3 minutes, until bright green and hot through. The tripe should be piping hot and fully tender.
3 minStep 7: Take off the heat, stir in ½ oz fresh mint leaves and serve at once with 1 ⅓ lb cooked white rice.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 390 kcal
- Protein
- 34 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does cau cau take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 105 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 lime?
- Lemon, same amount.
- What can I use instead of bay leaves?
- Leave it out, or a pinch of dried thyme (it's a background flavour).
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