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Perihuela

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Makes 4 servings 1x

Time 1 hour

ABOUT THE CHILES Ají panca is a fruity chile that gives Peruvian cooking its unique flavor. It’s sold in South American grocery stores and online in several forms—dried, ground, or paste. Ground pasillas or smoky dried ground chipotles are fine substitutes. Whatever you find will work, just be sure to taste as you go since the potency varies.

Scale

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces unpeeled large shrimp, rinsed
  • 1 pound bones and/or cleaned heads from any firm, white fish
  • 2 onions, 1 cut into chunks (don’t bother to peel) and 1 chopped
  • 2 fresh cilantro sprigs and 1/4 cup chopped fresh, for garnish
  • 1 garlic clove, smashed, and 1 tablespoon chopped
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tablespoons good-quality vegetable oil, plus more for frying
  • 4 ounces purple potatoes, scrubbed
  • Salt
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
  • Pepper
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, or
  • 1 teaspoon dried
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ají panca powder or paste, or ground pasilla chile
  • 1 pound boneless, flaky white fish (like cod or sea bass), cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 8 ounces lump crabmeat
  • 20 littleneck clams, scrubbed
  • Lime wedges

Instructions

  1. Peel the shrimp and put the shells in a large pot with the fish bones, unpeeled onion, cilantro sprigs, smashed garlic clove, 1/2 cup wine, and 1 bay leaf. Add 6 cups water and bring just about to a boil, then adjust the heat so the mixture bubbles gently. Cook until very fragrant, 50 to 55 minutes. Cool slightly, then strain, pressing the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. (Use immediately or refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to a few weeks.)
  2. Put 2 to 3 inches oil in a large pot over medium heat and bring to 350°F. Put a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet. Use a mandoline or sharp knife to slice the potatoes as thin as you can manage, no more than 1/8 inch thick. When the oil is ready, fry the potatoes in batches until golden and crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the chips to the wire rack with a slotted spoon or strainer. Sprinkle with salt.
  3. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When it’s hot, add the chopped onion, chopped garlic, and ginger and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and golden, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the oregano, cumin, and ají panca and cook until the spices are fragrant and have darkened, about 1 minute.
  4. Pour in the remaining 1/2 cup white wine and cook, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pan, until the wine has mostly evaporated. Add the remaining bay leaf and the stock and bring the mixture to a boil.
  5. Adjust the heat so the soup bubbles gently. Carefully lower the fish, shrimp, crab, and clams into the pan and cook without stirring until the fish is opaque and the clams have opened, 8 to 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Divide the soup among 4 bowls, top with the fried potatoes and cilantro, and serve right away, passing the lime wedges at the table.

— Recipe from Dinner for Everyone