Destination
Arequipa
The story
Chaufa amazónico is the Amazonian regional variation of chifa fried rice: long-grain rice stir-fried in a wok with soy sauce, egg, spring onion, garlic and ginger — the classical Peruvian-Chinese base — but adapted for the jungle by adding smoked river fish (paiche or doncella), chopped pork or chorizo, chopped palm heart, chopped hearts of palm, and a spoon of ají charapita (the tiny fiery yellow chili native to the Peruvian Amazon). Sold at every Iquitos and Pucallpa restaurant, at every jungle-town restaurant across the Loreto and Ucayali regions, and increasingly seen at Lima restaurants that offer Amazonian regional food.
Method
If the rice is fresh: spread on a baking sheet and refrigerate 30 minutes to cool and dry. Day-old rice from the fridge is ideal.
Warm the oil in a small pan. Add garlic 30 seconds. Add chopped charapita chilies and salt; sizzle 30 seconds. Off the heat, stir in lime juice. Cool. Set aside as a serving condiment.
Whisk together all sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
Warm a wok over the highest heat until smoking. Add 2 tbsp oil.
Add the chorizo, cook 90 seconds. Add diced pork, cook 60 seconds. Add the flaked paiche, toss 30 seconds. Tip everything onto a plate.
Add remaining 1 tbsp oil. Toss in onion, garlic, ginger, capsicum, green beans and palm heart. Stir-fry 90 seconds — the vegetables should stay crisp.
Push vegetables to one side. Pour beaten eggs into the empty side. Scramble roughly with the spatula 30 seconds until just set.
Add the cold rice to the wok. Pour in the sauce mix. Return the proteins. Toss vigorously for 2 minutes, breaking up rice clumps and coating everything evenly. Add spring onions in the last 30 seconds. Serve immediately with a wedge of lime, extra spring onion, coriander leaves and a small dish of ají charapita salsa on the side.
Tips
- Day-old rice is essential. Freshly-cooked rice steams instead of fries. If you must use fresh, spread on a tray and refrigerate 30 minutes first.
- Very hot wok. Smoking hot is the target. Anything cooler and you get soft, sticky rice instead of the classical crisp-catch chaufa.
- Paiche is the Amazon fish. Smoked paiche is sold at Peruvian specialist grocers. Smoked mackerel or smoked haddock are the practical substitutes.
- Ají charapita is essential. This tiny fiery yellow Peruvian jungle chili is what makes the salsa taste specifically Amazonian. Any Latino grocer sells it fresh or frozen; bird's eye chilies are the practical substitute.
- Palm heart adds jungle character. The specific mild, slightly-woody flavour of hearts of palm is the Amazonian touch. Jarred or tinned palm heart works well.
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