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Pescado a lo machoFried fish in spicy seafood sauce

Pescado a lo macho is a classic of Lima's seafood restaurants, the dish people order for a long Sunday lunch near the sea in Chorrillos: a fillet of fried white fish smothered in a thick, spicy sauce of ají panca and ají amarillo packed with prawns, squid and mussels. The name boasts that you need to be brave for the chilli, but you can turn it down. The common mistake is overcooking the seafood while the sauce reduces; add it only when the sauce is already thick. Discard mussels that are open and do not close when tapped, and any that stay shut after cooking. Chef's tip: dust the fish in flour seasoned with cumin and fry it last, so it reaches the table crisp under the sauce.

55 min

Peruvian Fish

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Crema volteadaBaked caramel custard

In Lima, crema volteada is the dessert that appears at Sunday lunch in Miraflores and Barranco homes and at every birthday where an aunt is in charge of the sweets. It is firmer and richer than a Spanish flan because it is made with both evaporated and condensed milk, so it slices cleanly and tastes of toffee. The usual mistake is baking it in an oven that is too hot: the custard boils, fills with tiny holes and weeps. Keep the water bath at a bare simmer and take it out while the centre still wobbles slightly. Chef's tip: chill it overnight before turning it out; a cold custard releases in one piece and the caramel has time to melt into a pourable sauce.

80 min

Peruvian Desserts

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Mandioca fritaFried cassava

Mandioca frita, called aipim in Rio and macaxeira in the Northeast, is a must at Brazilian botecos (neighbourhood bars), served in a basket with lime and a little hot sauce on Friday nights, or alongside picanha at a Sunday churrasco. Fat cassava batons are boiled until tender, then fried until the outside crackles and the inside is fluffy, like the best chips you have ever had. Cassava must never be eaten raw: peel off all the brown bark and pink layer and boil it until completely soft right through. The usual mistake is frying it before it is fully tender; it stays hard and woody in the middle. Boil until a knife meets no resistance and the batons start to split. Chef's tip: let the boiled cassava cool and dry completely on a rack, or even chill it overnight; dry cassava fries crisper and splatters less.

55 min

Brazilian Sides

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X-tudoBurger with everything

The x-tudo (say 'shee-TOO-doo'; 'x' sounds like 'cheese' in Portuguese) is the late-night king of Brazilian lanchonetes (snack bars) and street food trailers in São Paulo, Curitiba and Rio, eaten after football or a night out. A soft bun is stacked with a beef patty, melted cheese, ham, bacon, a fried egg, lettuce, tomato, sweetcorn and crunchy potato sticks, all held together with mayonnaise. It contains pork (ham and bacon) and egg. The common mistake is building it on a cold bun: toast the cut sides in the burger fat so they don't go soggy under all the fillings. The patty is done when there's no pink in the middle and it reaches 71 °C. Cook the egg until the white is fully set; for anyone pregnant, a young child or older or vulnerable people, cook the yolk firm too. Chef's tip: press the bun flat on the hot plate with a spatula for 20 seconds once built, the way lanchonetes do; it melts everything together.

35 min

Brazilian Fast Food

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Ceviche peruanoLime-cured white fish

Ceviche is Peru's national dish, eaten at lunchtime in the cevicherías of Lima's Surquillo and Chorrillos markets, because the fish must be fresh off the morning boats and cevicherías traditionally close in the afternoon. The classic is raw white fish 'cooked' in lime juice with red onion, chilli and coriander, served with sweet potato and corn. Lime juice does not kill bacteria or parasites, so this version first poaches the fish for a minute until just opaque, then dresses it, which keeps the classic flavour and texture far safer. Even so, it is not for pregnant women, young children or anyone with a weakened immune system. The usual mistake is leaving the fish in the lime for an hour: it turns chalky and the juice goes bitter. Chef's tip: squeeze the limes gently by hand and stop before the pith; over-squeezed limes make bitter leche de tigre.

40 min

Peruvian Fish

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Natilla cubanaLemon cinnamon custard

Natilla is the custard Cuban grandmothers in Havana and Miami's Little Havana make for Sunday lunch, birthdays and any evening that needs something sweet from the fridge. It is softer than flan: milk is infused with lemon peel and a cinnamon stick, thickened gently with egg yolks and a little cornflour, then poured into small bowls and dusted with ground cinnamon. It contains milk and egg. The common mistake is boiling it hard once the yolks go in, which splits the custard into sweet scrambled egg; keep the heat low and stir the bottom constantly. It is ready when it thickly coats the back of a spoon and a finger drawn through leaves a clean line. Chef's tip: press cling film right onto the surface while it is hot, or a rubbery skin forms as it cools.

25 min

Cuban Desserts

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Bistec empanizadoBreaded thin steak

Bistec empanizado is the breaded steak of Cuban family dinners and Little Havana diners, a weeknight plate in Havana and Miami alike. Thin slices of beef are pounded thinner still, marinated briefly in lime, garlic and cumin, then crumbed with crushed crackers and fried until crisp and golden. It contains wheat and egg. The mistake is cutting the steak thick: it toughens before the crumb browns, so pound it to 5 mm. It is done when the crust is deep golden on both sides, which takes only a couple of minutes for meat this thin. Serve with white rice, black beans, maduros and a lime wedge. Chef's tip: marinate the beef for no more than an hour; lime juice left longer turns thin steak grey and mealy.

32 min

Cuban Meat

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Pollo asado cubanoGarlic citrus roast chicken

Cuban families from Camagüey to Hialeah roast pollo asado for Sunday lunch and Nochebuena, the night before Christmas, when there is too much else on the table for a whole pig. Chicken pieces soak overnight in mojo, a marinade of sour orange, crushed garlic, cumin and oregano, then roast until the skin is crackly and the juices run clear, with onion rings softening underneath. The usual mistake is marinating for days or in a metal bowl; the citrus turns the meat mushy and metallic, so keep it to 12–24 hours in the fridge in glass or a bag. It is done when the thickest part of the thigh reaches 74 °C. Serve with moros, yuca and maduros. Chef's tip: no sour oranges? Use two parts orange juice to one part lime juice.

70 min

Cuban Chicken

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Lomo saltadoBeef stir-fry with chips

Lomo saltado was born in the chifas of central Lima, where Chinese cooks met Peruvian ingredients, and today it is the lunch every Peruvian family makes when they want something fast and a little indulgent. Strips of beef are seared in a smoking-hot wok with red onion, tomato and yellow chilli, splashed with soy sauce and vinegar, then tossed with chips and served beside white rice, so you get both starches on one plate. The common mistake is crowding the wok: the beef stews in its juices and turns grey and chewy instead of charring. Cook it in two batches over the highest heat you have. Chef's tip: add the chips at the very last second, or serve them on the side, so they soak up a little sauce but stay crisp.

45 min

Peruvian Meat

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Strogonoff de frangoCreamy chicken stroganoff

Brazil adopted Russia's stroganoff and made it its own: strogonoff de frango is everyday family food in São Paulo, Rio and all over the country, cooked for weeknight dinners and Sunday lunch and served with fluffy white rice and a pile of crunchy potato sticks (batata palha) on top. Strips of chicken are seared, then simmered in a pink, gently tangy sauce of tomato, ketchup, mustard and mushrooms, finished with cream. It is mild, so children love it. The common mistake is boiling the sauce after adding the cream: it can split and turn grainy. Stir it in at the end over a low heat. The chicken is done when no pink remains and the thickest piece reaches 74 °C. Chef's tip: brown the chicken in two batches in a very hot pan; the golden bits on the bottom dissolve into the sauce and give it real depth.

30 min

Brazilian Chicken

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BrigadeirãoBaked chocolate fudge pudding

Brigadeirão is the big, sliceable version of the brigadeiro, the chocolate fudge ball found at every Brazilian children's birthday party. Home cooks in São Paulo and Rio bake it in a ring tin in a water bath for Sunday lunch desserts and family parties: condensed milk, cocoa, eggs, cream and butter set into a dense, fudgy, truffle-like pudding, then it is turned out and showered with chocolate sprinkles. The common mistake is unmoulding it warm: it tears and slumps. It needs at least 4 hours in the fridge to firm up. It is done when the edges are set, the centre wobbles only slightly, and a skewer comes out with moist crumbs, not liquid. The eggs are fully baked. It contains milk and egg. Chef's tip: wrap the outside of the tin in foil and use hot, not boiling, water in the bath; it stops the pudding curdling into bubbles at the edges.

75 min

Brazilian Desserts

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Tamales peruanosChicken corn tamales in banana leaf

In Lima, tamales are a Sunday breakfast, bought warm from street vendors calling 'tamaleeeeros' or made at home for Christmas, and eaten with crusty bread and a pile of salsa criolla. Peruvian tamales are larger and softer than Mexican ones, made from corn dough coloured with ají and wrapped in banana leaves, hiding chicken, a black olive, a slice of egg and a peanut. Peanuts are an allergen, so leave them out if needed. The usual mistake is a dry dough: the tamales turn crumbly. Beat in enough warm stock to make a soft paste that just holds its shape. The chicken must reach 74 °C before it goes in. Chef's tip: fat makes the dough tender; beat the oil and dough for a full 5 minutes until light, as Lima cooks do with pork lard.

150 min

Peruvian Chicken

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Croquetas de jamónHam croquettes

Croquetas de jamón are the snack of the ventanita, the walk-up coffee window of Havana and Miami cafeterías, eaten with a cafecito at breakfast or tucked into a Cuban sandwich, and piled high at every party. This recipe contains pork: cooked ham is minced and folded into a thick, nutmeg-scented béchamel, chilled firm, rolled into small cylinders, crumbed and fried until golden, so the inside is almost molten. They contain milk, egg and wheat. The mistake is shaping the mixture while it is still warm; it must be cold and stiff or the croquettes split in the oil. They are done when deep golden all over and piping hot in the centre. Chef's tip: cook the flour in the butter for a full two minutes before the milk goes in, so the croquetas taste rich and nutty rather than floury.

65 min

Cuban Snacks & Starters

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Plátanos maduros fritosFried sweet plantains

No Cuban lunch counter in Havana, Santiago or Miami serves ropa vieja, picadillo or black beans and rice without a few maduros on the side. Plantains are left until the skin is almost completely black, when the flesh turns soft and sugary, then sliced on the diagonal and fried slowly until the edges caramelise and the middle is creamy. The mistake is using yellow plantains: they stay starchy and dry, so wait until the skins are mostly black and the fruit gives when pressed. They are done when deep amber on both sides and a knife slides in with no resistance. Chef's tip: fry over a medium heat, not high; the sugar in ripe plantain burns before the centre softens if the oil is too hot.

17 min

Cuban Sides

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Arroz tapadoRice dome with beef filling

Arroz tapado means covered rice, and it is the thrifty weekday lunch of Lima homes and school canteens: garlic rice pressed into a bowl, filled with a sweet-savoury beef mince and turned out like a dome. The filling of minced beef with onion, ají panca, raisins, black olives and hard-boiled egg is the same picadillo that goes into papas rellenas. The usual mistake is leaving the filling wet: the dome collapses and the rice turns soggy. Simmer it until the pan is almost dry. Minced beef must reach 71 °C, so cook it until no pink remains. Serve with a spoonful of salsa criolla. Chef's tip: brush the bowl with a little oil and pack the rice firmly with the back of a spoon; a well-pressed dome holds its shape on the plate.

60 min

Peruvian Meat

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Arroz con mariscosSeafood rice

Arroz con mariscos is the weekend dish of Callao and the beach towns south of Lima, served in cevicherías as the hot partner to a cold ceviche. It is moister than a paella, closer to a risotto, coloured with ají panca and ají amarillo and finished with peas and a little Parmesan-style cheese, as many Lima cooks do. The common mistake is adding all the seafood at the start: the squid turns rubbery and the prawns shrink to nothing. Cook the rice first and add the shellfish only for the final minutes. Discard any mussels that are open before cooking and do not close when tapped, and any that stay shut after cooking. The cheese is often made with animal rennet; use a vegetarian hard cheese if you prefer. Chef's tip: simmer the prawn shells in the stock for 10 minutes; they give the rice its deep seafood taste.

60 min

Peruvian Fish

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Sopa criollaCreamy beef noodle soup

Sopa criolla is the soup Lima turns to on grey winter evenings, when the garúa mist hangs over the city: a beef broth reddened with ají panca, full of thin noodles and strips of beef, enriched with evaporated milk and finished with a poached egg. It arrives with toasted bread for dunking. The common mistake is boiling the soup after adding the milk; it splits into specks. Lower the heat first and stir it in gently. The beef strips are thin, so they cook through in a few minutes. Chef's tip: crack the eggs straight into the barely simmering soup and leave them alone for three minutes; the whites set into soft ribbons that thicken the broth.

45 min

Peruvian Soups

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Cuba libreRum and cola with lime

The Cuba libre was born in Havana around 1900 and is still the easy highball poured at bars along the Malecón and at backyard parties from Miami to Madrid. It is a drink for adults only: light Cuban-style rum, cold cola and a generous squeeze of fresh lime, with the spent lime wedge dropped in the glass. Without the lime it is just rum and cola; with it the drink turns sharp and refreshing. The usual mistake is warm cola poured over too little ice, which melts fast and leaves it flat and watery, so fill the glass with ice and keep the cola chilled. For an alcohol-free version, leave out the rum and add 30 ml cold sparkling water with a dash of vanilla. Drink responsibly. Chef's tip: squeeze the lime and rub the wedge round the rim before adding ice, so every sip carries the lime oil.

3 min

Cuban Drinks

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Torta de limãoLime meringue pie

Torta de limão is one of Brazil's best-loved desserts, made in home kitchens from São Paulo to Belo Horizonte for birthdays and Sunday lunch, and sold by the slice in padarias (bakeries). A crumbly crust of butter biscuits holds a no-cook filling of condensed milk and plenty of lime juice that thickens like magic, topped with a cloud of glossy meringue that is browned in the oven. Brazilian limes (limão taiti) are juicy and very sharp, so use fresh limes, never bottled juice. The usual mistake is adding all the lime juice at once: pour it in gradually while whisking, or the filling can turn grainy. The meringue is done when the peaks are golden brown. For anyone pregnant, very young, older or with a weakened immune system, make sure the meringue is well browned and the egg whites cooked. Chef's tip: grate the zest over the filling just before the meringue goes on; the fragrant oils stay bright.

55 min

Brazilian Desserts

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MexidãoRice and beans scrambled with egg

Mexidão, the 'big mix-up', is a late-night favourite in Belo Horizonte and the farm kitchens of Minas Gerais: yesterday's rice and beans fried in one pan with onion and garlic, scrambled with egg, tossed with finely shredded couve and finished with toasted cassava flour. Many versions add bacon or sausage; this one stays vegetarian and is just as satisfying. Leftover rice is only safe if it was cooled within an hour of cooking and kept in the fridge, and it must be reheated until piping hot. The common mistake is piling everything into a cold, crowded pan so it turns mushy instead of crisping at the edges. Chef's tip: toast the cassava flour in the pan until it smells a little like popcorn before adding it.

15 min

Brazilian Rice & Grains

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Pan con tortillaBread with onion omelette

Pan con tortilla is a staple of Havana cafeterías and Miami ventanitas alike: a thin, soft omelette with sweet onion folded into buttered Cuban bread and pressed until warm and crisp. It is breakfast on the way to work and a quick supper when nobody wants to cook, usually with a cafecito or a fruit shake. The common mistake is frying the onion too hard; it should be soft and sweet, not brown and bitter. Chef's tip: press the sandwich with a heavy pan so the bread goes crunchy outside while the omelette stays tender.

11 min

Cuban Fast Food

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TripleAvocado, tomato and egg sandwich

The triple is the soft, layered sandwich of Lima's cafés and bakeries, eaten at lonche, the Peruvian late-afternoon meal, or as a light supper: three slices of crustless white bread layered with avocado, tomato and sliced hard-boiled egg, all held together with mayonnaise. It looks neat, tastes fresh and is loved by children. Shop-bought mayonnaise is made with pasteurised egg, so it is safe for everyone. The common mistake is letting wet tomato touch the bread, which turns it soggy within minutes. Chef's tip: pat the tomato dry and sit it between the avocado and egg, then press the sandwich under a board for a minute before cutting.

15 min

Peruvian Snacks & Starters

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Pan con butifarraHam roll with onion salsa

Pan con butifarra is Lima's evening sandwich, sold in old-school sangucherías and made at home for a light dinner with coffee: a crusty roll filled with jamón del país, a spiced Peruvian pork ham, under a heap of salsa criolla, red onion sliced thin and soaked in lime with chilli. Outside Peru, use a good cooked pork ham. The common mistake is leaving the onion harsh; give it a quick rinse in salted water before dressing it. Chef's tip: a leaf of lettuce under the ham stops the lime juice soaking straight into the bread.

10 min

Peruvian Meat

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BeiruteRoast beef and egg pita sandwich

The beirute was born in São Paulo's Lebanese-run lanchonetes and is now a late-night dinner order all over the city: a whole pita split, filled with thin roast beef, melting cheese, tomato, lettuce and a fried egg, toasted on the griddle and cut into wedges with a sprinkle of za'atar or oregano. The common mistake is overloading it with wet lettuce and tomato before toasting, which steams the bread soft; add them after. Chef's tip: toast the pita cut-side down in the pan first so the inside is crisp and keeps the juices out.

15 min

Brazilian Fast Food

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