Parihuela
Spicy seafood soup
Parihuela: Callao's spicy seafood soup with ají panca, tomato, fish, prawns, mussels and squid
Parihuela is the big weekend seafood soup of Callao and the Peruvian coast, eaten at long Sunday lunches in cevicherías and praised as a cure for tiredness and late nights. A deep red broth of ají panca, ají amarillo, tomato and fish stock is loaded with chunks of fish, prawns, squid and mussels. A portion gives about 30 g of protein, from the fish and shellfish, for roughly 300 kcal. Some cooks add chicha de jora or beer; this version has none. The common mistake is adding all the seafood at once: squid and prawns turn rubbery while the fish cooks, so they go in last. Before cooking, discard any mussels that stay open when tapped, and after cooking discard any that stay shut. Chef's tip: fry the chilli pastes in the oil until they darken and smell sweet; that toasted ají is what gives parihuela its depth.
- Total time
- 70 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the base
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 red onionfinely chopped
- 4 cloves garliccrushed
- 2 tbsp ají panca pasteor 1 tbsp ancho chilli paste
- 1 tbsp ají amarillo paste
- 3 ripe tomatoesgrated, skins discarded
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1.5 litre fish stock
- 1 tsp salt
For the seafood
- 1 ⅛ lb firm white fish filletssuch as corvina, cod or sea bass, in large chunks
- 1 ⅛ lb musselslive, scrubbed
- 10 ½ oz raw king prawnsshell on
- 7 oz squid rings
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Check 1 ⅛ lb mussels and discard any that are broken or stay open when tapped.
Step 3: Stir in 4 cloves garlic, 2 tbsp ají panca paste and 1 tbsp ají amarillo paste and fry, stirring, until the paste darkens and smells sweet.
4 minStep 4: Add 3 ripe tomatoes and 1 tsp dried oregano and cook until thick and the oil separates at the edges.
8 minStep 5: Pour in 1.5 litre fish stock, add 1 tsp salt and simmer for 15 minutes so the flavours come together.
15 minStep 6: Add 1 ⅛ lb firm white fish fillets and the mussels, cover and simmer gently for 3 minutes.
3 minStep 7: Add 10 ½ oz raw king prawns and 7 oz squid rings and cook until the prawns are pink and curled, the squid is white and opaque, the mussels have opened and the fish flakes.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 300 kcal
- Protein
- 30 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does parihuela take?
- About 70 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 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.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- 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?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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