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Majarisco
Majarisco: Piura and Tumbes' green plantain mash folded with prawns, squid and mussels in a garlic-chilli sauce
Its name blends 'majado' (mashed plantain) and 'marisco' (seafood), and along the coast of Piura and Tumbes, near the Ecuadorian border, it's what cevicherías and beach restaurants serve when you want something hot and filling. Mashed green plantain is folded into a sauce of garlic, onion, ají and seafood juices, with prawns, squid and mussels running through it, so every forkful is creamy, garlicky and briny. Serve it with lime and salsa criolla. Mussels must be alive: tap any open ones and discard those that don't close, and discard any that stay shut after cooking. Overcooking the seafood is the most frequent mistake; it goes in at the end, just until pink and opaque. Chef's tip: keep the mussel cooking liquid and use it to loosen the mash; it's pure seafood flavour.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the plantain
For the seafood
- 1 ⅛ lb live musselsscrubbed and debearded
- ½ cup water
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 red onionfinely chopped
- 6 garlic clovescrushed
- 2 tbsp ají amarillo paste
- 1 tbsp ají panca paste
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 9 oz squidcleaned, cut into rings
- 9 oz raw prawnspeeled and deveined
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp fresh corianderchopped
To serve
- 4 lime wedges (optional)
- 1 bowl salsa criolla (optional)
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Peel 4 green plantains, cut into chunks and boil until very soft. Drain and mash roughly while hot.
25 minStep 2: Check 1 ⅛ lb live mussels, tapping open ones and discarding any that don't close. Steam them in ½ cup water in a covered pan over a high heat until they open; throw away any that stay shut. Shell most of them, keep the liquid.
5 minStep 3: Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a wide pan over a medium heat and fry 1 red onion and 6 garlic cloves until soft and golden.
7 minStep 4: Stir in 2 tbsp ají amarillo paste, 1 tbsp ají panca paste and ½ tsp ground cumin and fry until the paste turns deep orange.
2 minStep 5: Add 9 oz squid and 9 oz raw prawns with 1 tsp salt and cook, stirring, just until the prawns turn pink and the squid opaque.
3 minStep 6: Stir in the mashed plantain and the strained mussel liquid, mixing until creamy and hot. Fold in the mussels.
3 minStep 7: Scatter with 2 tbsp fresh coriander and serve with 4 lime wedges and 1 bowl salsa criolla.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- Protein
- 32 g
- Carbs
- 64 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does majarisco take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 35 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 garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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