kitchen Angst!

Lets cook Cuyes:

What is Cuyes? Well, You tell me! That is today’s trivia question after all!

Now the recipes I have start from scratch, as in the living animal. You wont need that much information seeing how you can buy them already cleaned in most Latin markets. I will spare you all those “how to’s” even though It is October.

Both of my recipes are from Peru, another clue?

Cuyes a la criolla:

Soak the Cuyes in salted water for 2 hours, dry them thoroughly, and let them stand in the air for an hour. Cut them into quarters, salt them, and fry in very hot oil until brown. Reduce the heat and continue to cook until done. They are even better grilled over charcoal!

Cuyes a la arequipena:

Fry finely chopped onions and a generous amount of crushed garlic in oil until golden. Add fresh yellow chili peppers ( previously seeded, soaked in saltwater, and ground into a paste ) , black pepper, and salt. Add the Cuyes. Cook a bit and add quite a bit of ground toasted peanuts ( or peanut butter ) , several boiled potatoes, and a couple of potatoes mashed with a fork.

Now I learned about this delicious dish in the kitchen, working with Latinos. If you work with Latinos and are thinking about giving them a turkey for the Holidays this year, You may want to reconsider, or at least ask first! Some might not even know what to do with a whole turkey, but depending on the country they are from they may just prefer some Cuyes!

I warn you though Hide your brooms, the wooden handles make for the perfect skewer for Cuyes, I found this out the hard way. I couldn’t get upset because they made me one as well! We had quite the afternoon standing shoulder to shoulder at the grill, with our Cuyes on a stick!

So what is Cuyes?

Is it an everyday food or for special occasions?

send me your thoughts and comments.

I will answer these questions on Monday.

Happy October,

James