Chef Alejandro Saravia
After experiencing the delights of Peruvian cuisine, I kept thinking about the goodies we had eaten. There were flavours and ingredients that I had tried for the first time and I was curious about them and how I would cook with them at home. Then when I was asked to attend a cooking class with Chef Alejandro Saravia I jumped at the chance. At $80 per person in May, it’s a great way to spend a few hours learning about a new cuisine and enjoy a four course meal with wine.
Alejandro arrives and changes into his chef’s whites (or blacks to be more accurate). He hands us each a red apron with the Taste of Peru logo on the front and an outline of today’s three recipes. We’re making a snapper ceviche, an organic Lake Titicaca trout causa and a quinoa risotto.
He starts of filleting some snapper and stresses to us the importance that the ingredients should be fresh as ceviche is essentially a raw fish that has been lightly cooked in citrus fruit acids. In fact the ceviche should only be mixed and prepared just before serving or the lime can turn bitter and even though limes can be expensive, a true ceviche should only be used using lime juice not a mix of lemon and lime although he says Tahitian limes in Australia are stronger and necessitate mixing with lemon. The “a la minute” at the last minute preparation is why well prepared ceviche is so hard for restaurants to serve as it requires organisation and resources in order to make each dish fresh. Ceviche must always be made in a glass bowl and mixed with a wooden spoon as metals can react with the acids in the fruit. In Peruvian cuisine he explains that they don’t have many spices (mainly ones like cumin) but there are plenty of herbs. In Modern Peruvian cuisine, chefs use passionfruit to cook the protein or in Peru there is also a fruit called the cocona which is like a sour tomato.
Aji which is yellow chilli paste is a staple ingredient in Peruvian cuisine and he uses it in each one of the dishes today. It is made from cooking dried yellow chillis and blending them with some of the cooking water to make a vividly coloured, spicy chili paste. He hands us a yellow chilli and we sniff it. It smells sweet like honeycomb. He also uses a Peruvian yellow corn (choclo) which comes tinned and partially cooked and he cooks this briefly for a few minutes with some raw sugar and cinnamon. Alejandro says that if you can’t get a hold of aji or aji paste you can use a yellow cayenne chilli but it won’t have quite the same aroma. Snapper is a fish that is good for ceviche as it is firm and mildly flavoured.
Snapper pieces
He cuts the snapper into small square shaped pieces and then briefly stirs them with the lime juice. His technique for extracting juice from the lime to help get out as much lime juice as possible is interesting . He rolls the limes on the countertop and then cuts them in half. He then ues a fork which he uses to jab at the fruit while turning it in the other hand and the juice appears to be gushing out. He finds that this avoids getting the bitter pith in the juice too.
He serves it on a plate with the corn, diced and cooked sweet potato and the ceviche. We help ourselves and it’s fresh and tangy and wolfed down hungrily. When he tells us that he will start the next course someone pipes up and asks if we can finish the rest and everyone goes for seconds.
The next dish is Causa which has a very interesting history. When Peru was figthting for its independence the Peruvian troops needed to be fed but since there was a dearth of supplies they were fed what the people had to hand: potatoes and in some cases beans, especially lima beans. They mash the potatoes, mix it with aji (that yellow chilli paste again) and lime and served with sliced vegetables. It was named causa as it helped to fortify the troops for the “cause”!
Peeling potatoes by hand
Mashing potatoes by hand – therapeutic!
We get a bit interactive here and wash our hands for what are we doing? Mashing the potatoes with our hands! This was the traditional way that potatoes were mashed for the causa (and never understimate how fun it is mashing up potatoes with your hands – you feel about 5 years old again playing in the garden). We shell some quail eggs and he gives us a taste of the Olive Green organic Lake Titicaca trout fillets which are beautifully soft and come in lovely large fillet pieces. Usually causa is served layered in a timbale but for today we are helping ourselvs and building our own causa. We take a spoonful of the mashed potato which has been seasoned with salt and aji and pile on some avocado, trout, quail’s egg, mayonnaise and the ingredient which we feel makes a big difference: thinly sliced red onion marinated in lime juice.
Chef Saravia’s causa
My causa – note: piled high but messier!
It’s fantastic – light and tangy with a creaminess from the mash and the mayonnaise and avocado with the tang from the lime and onion to break it up. Everyone goes for seconds of this too.
Mr NQN cooks! Once every 2 years…
Our last dish is a gluten free risotto using quinoa and flavoured with butternut pumpkin and parmesan cheese. Quinoa is a grain high in protein and is a great especially for celiacs and gluten free eaters everywhere. In fact the cooking classes in June are focused just on quinoa and some creative new GF dishes. There are three kinds of quinoa: red, black and yellowy white quinoa with the yellowy white one being the mildest with a light nutty flavour to it. We’re cooking with this royal yellow white quinoa today. Over the 10 years that we’ve known each other, Mr NQN has only cooked for me three times (once was when he proposed) so a stint cooking was long overdue.
Mr NQN and Alejandro
Pumpkin risotto
Alejandro asks him to brown the onion and chopped garlic and then add the puree and seasonings and cheese. The cooked quinoa is then added to the creamy mixture along with more cheese and this is then served with kangaroo fillet which is cooked medium rare. The risotto smells deliciously heady with garlic and parmesan. We take a bite of the risotto and are converts. Whilst risotto can sometimes feel very heavy and dry this is much easier to eat and less stodgy feeling. I even go back for seconds.
And I know I promised you and a friend a chance to win places at the next cooking class on 6pm-9pm May 26th, 2010. In this class you will learn how to make a Peruvian cocktail plus prepare and eat a four course meal including matching wines!
To win, all you need to do is tell me a random fact aboutthe country of Peru! Simply add your answer as a comment to the story. The competition ends at Midnight AEST 23rd May, 2010. You can enter this once daily. You will also need to make your own way to the location in Bondi Junction. For more information on the classes, see the Taste of Peru website.
***The winner of the prize is: Sam S. of Sydney***
Best of luck!
Love,
Lorraine
xxx
NQN and Mr NQN attended the Taste of Peru cooking class as guests of Chef Saravia
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79 Comments | Add your own
Yet another reason why I really should be living in Australia already!
Hopefully by this time next year. 
What a fun event! The food is both familiar and strange – I love that. 
Did you know that the potato is from Peru? Bless that country!
I like Peruvian food. What a fantastic competition. At $80.00 per person, these classes are sure worth it. I’ll have to try the potato mashing by had. What a great way to get your frustrations out.
Did you know that 1 in every 7 cars in Lima is a taxi?
Would LOVE to win this class.
I just want to know one thing: was this alejandro fellow a model in another time and place?
Peru’s corn has the biggest kernels in the world.
Also along with the Potato, tomato and avocado are also from Peru.
Ok, random fact about Peru. I found this on the Internet so it must be true:
In Ancient Peru, when a woman found an ‘ugly’ potato, it was the custom for her to push it into the face of the nearest man.
As therapeutic as mashing potatoes by hand. If not more
Wow! just the cooking class for me!
A fact is that the best Alpaca Wool sweaters are indisputably from Peru.
If
(a) I wasn’t vegetarian
(b) I lived much closer &
(c) I knew any random fact about Peru at all!!!
…..then I would definitely be into this comp sooooo fast!
All that food sounds so tasty!!
btw.. I think your causa looks much appealing than chef’s.
You must be the only one who thinks you aren’t creative!
Spain introduced Christianity to Peru and forced locals to take Spanish names!
thanks Lorraine, not only did I learn about Peruvian cuisine but through my fact searching learnt about Peru too!
Paddington bear came from Peru.
I like the sound of the causa, and I even have the makings for it on hand. Will give it a shot.
can i eat the chef, please??? he is so gorgeously handsome…
I’ve often wondered where I could try true Peruvian food – have not really tasted any here & this brings back memories of the ceviche I had from a street stall served in a plastic bag in Peru many years ago (does this count as a random fact!?) Would love to attempt to concoct such creations myself!
oh what a wonderful class! It all looks so fantastic!
Mashing potato by hand … now that’s a good way to get the kids involved with cooking dinner!
I have to try causa. I am fascinated by that mix of flavours and textures – really I have to try it!!! Very exciting.
Lorraine!! *squeals with delight*
I am so happy to see this post, Peru is on my list of countries to visit with my blog and I confess while the country has always fascinated me I had no idea what type of cuisine was prepared there.
I am now very much looking forward to my taste buds adventure to Peru. I have also book marked the “A Taste of Peru” website thank you so much.
Good Luck to all those who enter. Sadly I can not commit to that date, but I do hope who ever wins shares details with us all *smiles*
Pisco Sour is a Peruvian cocktail made of Pisco, lemon juice, egg whites, syrup and local bitters. Peru even has a National Pisco Sour Day which is celebrated on the first weekend of February.
Exciting cuisine and I’d love to participate in chef Alejandro cookery class but of course he did not cook Huanuqueno – a Peruvian guinea pig stew cooked in peanut and aji panca (hot pepper) sauce. Perhpas not Mr. NQN’s taste.
Peru’s corn has the biggest kernels in the world. How corny!
Ps. Quinoa is just fabulous!
Apparently there are three regions of Peruvian Food – Coastal, Highlands and Jungle. All having their own distinct flavours and dishes.
Machu Picchu is in Peru which i’ve climbed and did you know Guinea pig is a one of the dishes you’ll find in Peru
i wonder if they’ll teach that in the cooking class here? 
This is a very silly fact. Everyone I know says, “Wow Peru!.” But when you read this back the front, everyone I know refers to me as a vegetable,
….U…R…E…P….WOW!
Wow, it all looks really delicious, Lorraine! My sister lives in Chile and she keeps on raving about Peruvian cuisine…
PS: can I add, Alejandro is super hot!! Hope my fiance won’t look at your post… but seriously, how is this guy single?!
Alright, back to more serious matters… One random fact about Peru: one of the best South American writers of all times, Mario Vargas Llosa, is from Peru. There you go, now can you pick me to go and meet with Alejandro?!!!
PS: I just had a look at Alejandro’s blog and my friend Elise was on the pictures, apparently she loved the cooking class!!
What a fun looking cooking class. I love a good ceviche and with fresh fish and an expert coach I bet it tasted great.
Chicha Morada (a cool, sweet, wonderfully refreshing drink) is made from purple maize and has higher antioxidant levels than blueberries.
Peru – home to cosmopolitan Lima with its Spanish architecture & tree-lined streets teeming with alfresco restaurants serving up ceviche & pisco sour… Mira Flores district abundant with colourful flowers … Aguas Calientes has one of the largest veal schnitzels around … Machu Picchu is the most recognised Incan site in the world … The Inca trail covers such landmarks as Dead Womans Pass and Land Above The Clouds …
Ceviche is a common Peruvian dish. Also made famous by the tv show Greys Anatomy where they nicknamed one of the girls “Ceviche”.
creative gluten free cooking? thats for me! Trust me, these are few and far beteen.
Did you know… sunflowers are native to Peru, and were venerated as images of the sun god?
This was my favourite fact about the Incas in ancient Peru: after a king died, priests would look after their estate and their royal wishes in the afterlife. This meant that when the “king” wanted more women or wine, the priests would request it on his behalf. And yes, you guessed it, those kings had great demands for women and wine in the afterlife.
That ceviche looks & sounds fantastic!
I also agree chef’s kitchen must be hot
Llamas originated from Peru.
They are a multi purpose animal used for their wool, milk and meat products, as well as being strong work horses.
They also have been recently used as guards for other animals within a farm to protect against predators.
Ohh I would so love to do this!
My dad is from Peru but has lived in Australia for over 30 years. He sometimes cooks ceviche for me but his version is definitely not traditional… his has a Thai salad spin to it. Tastes great though
My fact: More than half of Peru is covered by jungle and rain forests.
everything looks so fresh and beautiful , I truely enjoy this type of cooking.
What an experience…
VIAGRA is made from a Peruvian root called Maca(Huanarpo Macha)it has been used by the Peruvians for centuries!
Love South American food!! Would be amazing to learn how to make Peruvian food
PERU FACT: Keeping it food related, the tomato is originally from Peru, and it is a close relative of the Potato.
There are no limas in Lima and Machu Picchu is not the name of a circus performer. This is what my Geography teacher told me after I failed the exam.
the highest dune, cerro blanco, can be found in peru, standing 2080m above sea level.
I would gladly pay for the airfare to Sydney just to learn about Peruvian food, reputed to be the best cuisine of all of South America.
Just a few facts about Peru. Alejandro Toledo, elected in July 2001, was the first President in Peru, of native Indian origin.
In 2003, Beatriz Merino became the first female Prime Minister of Peru.
Peru is one of the top producers of silver, copper, lead, and zinc in the world.
Petroleum industry of Peru is one of the oldest in the world, while its fisheries are among the richest in the world.
Peru is the 19th largest country in the world.
Can’t wait to hear who wins! Vida
Here is my fact!
“The city of Caral has pyramid remains dated to between 2000 and 2600 BC, which may make it the oldest city in the world.”
Fingers crossed… thanks for the competition!
i know absolutely NOTHING about Peru, so this cooking class would be an eye opener… so with the fact, i had to google of course and found out: Peru has the largest illegal abortion rate
Wow!!!!! First of all, thank you Lorraine for the great post, it’s always a pleasure to have you and Mr. NQN in my kitchen.
I am really happy that you are encouraging your readers to research about Peru.
Thank you very much to all for the great comments!
Hope to see you soon in another “A taste of Peru” event.
Buen Provecho….
Alejandro
Peru is also famous for the Inca mummies.
Apparently there are 2 types of Inca mummies, those that are of royal birth or those that has been sacrificed.
They are usually burried in a sitting position, holding their legs together. They are then wrapped in clothings and then buried. Their mummification is different to Egyptian mummies, they do not remove the internal organs before being buried. They are buried as is and then let the nature do the work (it’s quite cold and dry up there, excellent condition!)
i understand the therapeuty to make mash potatoes with hands !! Pierre
Did you know that Peru has pyramid remains that may be from between 200 and 2600BC, makinmg them the oldest in the world!
TOP FIVE FOODIE FACTS ABOUT PERU!
1. Quinoa, a high protein grain, is Peruvian. There are more than 25 Varieties.
2. The potato is Peruvian and there are more than 2,000 different varieties.
3. The maize with the largest, most tender kernels in the world is Peruvian. There are 32 known varieties.
4. Peru has the largest variety of dishes in the world. 468. (Guinness Book of Records)
5. The Peruvian avocado is the mildest in the world.
AND NOW ITS TIME TO LEARN SOME AMAZING PERUVIAN RECIPES! MUCHAS GRACIAS!!!
Damn – I was going to mention the thing about Viagara being from Peru but Belinda beat me to it. Ok, another fact then – the base for aspirin is from the Peruvian weeping willow. (Oh dear, you know what they say about drugs and South America…)
Oh my gosh! This looks like it would be sooooo much fun!!!
I’ve madly been looking up facts to hopefully impress. Did you know?….
The weeping willow is originally from Peru and it produces the base for aspirin.
OR
The Tomato is originally from Peru, and it is a close relative of the Potato.
I’ll keep searching for more facts, what a fantastic competition!
P.S. I tried your creamy cauliflower and bacon soup along with your beef and beer stew with cheese dumplings over the weekend (my beau and I had so much fun!) and they were absolutely delicious!
Hola I would love to win as my best friend came to Australia from Peru 6 years ago & I would love to be able to cook her food from her home country – fact the early incas believed they had descended from the sun god Inti.
Adios
Peru was the last Spanish colony in South America… (Thanks Google!)
What a fantastic competition Lorraine!
Peruvian food has 468 different registered typical dishes
and also…
Four out of ten cereals are original from Peru (quinua, corn, cañihua and kiwicha). The kiwicha is the cereal that the NASA astronauts take on their trips.
there are 468 typical peruvian dishes
The Peruvian root Maca is what they make Viagra from and has been around for hundred of years
A Spanish conquistador named Franciso Pavarro conquered Peru and in the conquest he died. His body is preserved in the main square in Lima to this day in a glass casket and the public can view it
Ok Lorraine, seeing as my husband has never cooked for me in our 27 year marriage, he would have no choice but to if I win this competition . Lol
My random fact about Peru is, “Peruvians consider sitting with your ankle on your knee to be impolite.”
Hi I’m from Peru and thanks so much for encouraging research about the country, some of those facts I didn’t even know (e.g the viagra one!) and were hilarious, yet some were also sad (illegal abortion).
My food fact: we have purple corn which we use to make a non-alcoholic drink called chicha.
Non-food fact: In ancient times the Incas did a type of open-brain surgery where they cut out a bullion sized piece of skull and replaced it with a gold round, when the person had a headache, they’d take off the gold ‘lid’ until it went away and replaced it again! A bit gruesome but true
.
Also thanks to Mr. NQN for deigning our food worthy of his involvement, we hope you liked it!
Mmm I’m so craving ceviche right now!
Lorraine, another Peruvian dish you should try is Papa a la Huancaina – it’s one of my fav comfort foods
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papa_a_la_Huancaina
Peru Fact: The flag of Peru was adopted by the government of Peru in 1825. It is a vertical triband with red outer bands and a single white middle band.
It is said that the colors of the Peruvian flag, occurred to General San Martin when watching a flight of “parihuanas”, a variety of flamingo with red wings and white breast, after awaking from a siesta in the desert of Paracas.
Asparagus is Peru’s best-selling fresh produce item but last year sales were affected by the impact of the financial crisis on the country’s leading export markets.
In January, fresh and refrigerated asparagus exports reached some US$18.5m, down slightly on the US$18.6m recorded during the year-earlier period, according to the Peruvian Exporters Association (Adex).
Oh darn… my boyfriend just pointed out that I’m only allowed one entry per day… opps sorry perhaps my last comment could be deleted and I could enter it tomorrow?
Love this post! The cooking class looks awesome. I havent tried a peruvian restaurant in Sydney, and would love to hear any reviews or recommendation.
One of the more memorable dishes I had tried in Peru was the crispy skin Cuy (guinea pig). Not sure if I can request for that to be included in class?!
Entomologists in Peru (Madre de Dios) found a Shihuahuaco (asterix) tree containing 5000 (!!!) insect species of which 80% were being seen for the very first time.
Wowzers.
Oh, and I’d Love to win the Cooking Class! So here’s a fact..
The Peruvian Hairless dog, which originates from Peruvian pre-Inca cultures, is completely hairless apart from tufts on top of its head and sometimes tip of the tail. (one I met in my travels years ago -> http://www.flickr.com/photos/denisel/71883689/in/set-1634616/)
According to Peruvian folklore, letting the dog “hug” you is believed to help with stomach pain and other disorders.
Hmmm.. I’ve never seen this dog in Australia tho’. I suspect it will look a bit funny with sunblock all over its hairless body..
I spent four months in Peru a few years ago and I absolutely adore Peruvian food.
Random fact: The town of Oropesa is the bread capital of Peru–it’s famous for its sweet bread that is baked in ovens all around the city (and is DELICIOUS!).
In Peru, Incans would not be considered married unless they exchanged sandals! Good luck everyone with the competition.
Peru fact:
One of my best friends lives there! I’ve never been though, and I’m hoping to get there next year before she moves back home permanently.
Wow! My girlfriend and I are visiting Sydney from Melbourne from the 23rd until the 27th. Talk about timing! Have never been to Sydney together and then this pops up, right in the middle of the few days we’re spending there. Fingers crossed!
As for my fact, the ancient Peruvians kept dogs as pets pampering them to the extent that when they passed away, they were buried in their own tombs with warm blankets and treats for the afterlife. There is even a “pet cemetery” of dog tombs in the Osmore River Valley dating back to pre-Colombian times.
Sipan, a Moche archaeological site in northern Peru, contains a series of tombs which is considered to be one of the most important archaeological discoveries in South America since Machu Picchu.
The main tomb was found intact and undisturbed by thieves.
In Peru, Incans would not be considered married unless they exchanged sandals! Good luck everyone with the competition.
A very moorish snack food called Anticuchos de Corazon (brochettes of beef heart) was an unforgettable dish I had in Cuzco at the Christmas Eve Night Markets. It’s portions of marinated cow’s heartand potato skewered and grilled and served with aji sauce. I still remember the charcoal smoke coming up from the grill… mmm…
Hi everyone!I’m a Peruvian girl studying commercial cookery in Sydney and I’m very proud all of you like the Peruvian cuisine^^.
I’m quite new in the country and I wish I could eat some Peruvian food, but sometimes it is a bit difficult to find the ingredients and of course a restaurant!!!!. Anyway does someone know how can I get in contact with Alejandro Saravia? thanks!^^
mmmmmm those hands look sexy when he plays with the mashed potatos…. i wish he could play with me like that…. mmmm PS I hope he likes chicos!!! grrrr
@ no 53
.
I can’t concur with Google:-) Read the famous book “INES OF MY SOUL” by Isabelle Alliende it clearly tells you how CHILE was invaded and created after the Spanish arrivd from their base in Peru. It was already conquered then. She mentions a spanish General called VIAGRA so much for the name “invented” by Pfitzer
If u want to try peruvian food, read on facebook about la “esquina latina”, in Padstow, but they open only on weekends.I really love your blog keep goingggggg,
Eliza
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