Chupe de Camarón

ChupeCamarones.jpgiption
Chupe de camarron is a traditional seafood soup (chowder) from Peru. It is particularly offered to special dinner guests. Shrimp may be substituted for the traditional freshwater crawfish.

Ingredients
Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Serves: 8-10 Servings


 * 2 lbs whole crawfish
 * 4 cup shrimp stock
 * 2 tablespoons olive oil
 * 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
 * 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
 * 1 diced tomato
 * 1 teaspoon aji amarillo chili paste
 * 1 cup peas, either fresh or frozen
 * 1/4 cup long-grain white rice
 * 1 -2 ear of corn, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
 * 1 lb peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
 * Salt and pepper to taste
 * 1/4-1/2 cup - 1/2-inch diced queso fresco or asadero
 * 1 cup evaporated milk
 * 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
 * 2 eggs
 * 2 Tbsp chopped Italian parsley or cilantro for garnish

Directions
When eggs are cooked, soup is finished.
 * 1) Heat the olive oil in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring. Stir in the aji panca (or tomato paste) and aji amarillo pastes. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking, stirring often, for 10 minutes, or until onion is softened. Add shrimp broth to onion mixture and bring to a boil. Stir in peas, rice and corn chunks. Add potatoes and salt. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
 * 2) Add crawfish and queso fresco. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until shrimp is just cooked through, about 4 minutes (crawfish should be pink). Stir in the evaporated milk and oregano. Continue cooking and stirring. When the soup begins boiling again, Crack the eggs into the soup, spacing them so they remain separate in the soup. (If you prefer, you can beat the eggs together in a bowl before adding them to the soup instead).