And, another successful lunch! This time we leaned in a bit on the Peruvian side of things.

Solterito con Langostinos – a solterito is a traditional fresh salad sort of appetizer from Arequipa, in southern Peru. Our version is a mix of potatoes, peas (usually fava beans, but the ones in the market that morning looked a bit past their prime), corn, tomato, black olives, red onion, rocoto chilies, parsley, oregano, and smoked gouda cheese. It’s dressed in a vinaigrette made from a reduced prawn stock, lime juice, black vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. And, topped with the prawns themselves, quickly sauteed in olive oil with salt and hot paprika.

Salentein Corte de Blancas 2019, a blend of Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, and Sauvignon Blanc

Lasaña de Ají de Gallina – a good lasagna is made the day before hand and left to set in the refrigerator to that the layers cohere well. Then baked just before serving. This is, I guess, a fusion lasagna of sorts. Freshly made semolina pasta sheets, layered alternately with ají de gallina (shredded chicken in a cheese and yellow chili sauce), creamy mashed potatoes, and a chopped salsa of black olives, sun dried tomatoes, cilantro, and fresh mozzarella. Atop the final layer, thinly sliced small Andean potatoes dunked in olive oil, and a grating of parmigiano. We’ve tried out some versions of an ají de gallina lasagna before (here, here, here, here, and here), but this for me is the winner of them all. Served with steamed asparagus and some of the huancaina sauce used in making the chicken mixture.

Desquiciado Garnacha 2021

Lemon Kiss Tart – a reprise of the weekend’s lemon and saffron tart dusted with powdered sugar and nutmeg.

I’m kind of enjoying these lunches. It allows me the time to be a little more elaborate on the dishes since I only have three instead of five to prepare. And given that it’s at lunchtime, it necessitates preparing some stuff the day before, which also just adds to what I have time to do. And, so far, the guests seem to be really enjoying them!