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Choros a la chalaca
Choros a la chalaca: cold mussels on the half shell heaped with corn, onion, tomato, rocoto and lime
Named for the people of Callao, Lima's port, choros a la chalaca are what you order with friends at a seafront cevichería on a hot afternoon: steamed mussels, chilled, each on its half shell under a bright, wet salsa of red onion, tomato, Andean corn, rocoto and lime. Cool, sweet, briny and sharp, they are eaten with your fingers in two bites, often before a ceviche or a jalea. Here the mussels are fully steamed open first, so nothing is served raw. People often overcook them while waiting for the last stubborn shells, which leaves the rest rubbery; lift them out as soon as each one opens. Chef's tip: dress the salsa no more than 15 minutes ahead, and spoon a little of the juice onto every mussel; that juice is the whole point of the dish.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the mussels
For the chalaca salsa
To serve
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Fresh ingredients (5)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Check 2 ¼ lb live mussels one by one: tap any open ones sharply on the worktop and throw away those that don't close, and any with cracked shells.
Step 2: Put ½ cup water in a wide pan with a lid over a high heat. When it boils, add the mussels, cover and steam, shaking the pan, until the shells open.
4 minStep 3: Lift the mussels out onto a tray as they open. Throw away any that stay shut after 6 minutes. Let them cool, then chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
20 minStep 4: Twist off and discard the empty half of each shell, and loosen each mussel in the half it sits in. Arrange on a platter over ice if you have it.
Step 5: Mix 1 red onion, 2 tomatoes, 3 ½ oz cooked choclo kernels, ½ rocoto chilli and 2 tbsp fresh coriander in a bowl. Stir in ¼ cup lime juice, 1 tbsp neutral oil, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp black pepper and let it sit for 5 minutes, until the onion turns pinkish.
5 minStep 6: Spoon a little salsa with its juice onto every mussel, add 4 lime wedges and serve cold straight away.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 170 kcal
- Protein
- 18 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does choros a la chalaca take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 10 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 red onion?
- White onion or shallots, same amount (soak raw onion in cold water for 10 minutes to soften it).
- What can I use instead of tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
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