“In the navy
Yes, you can sail the seven seas
In the navy
Yes, you can put your mind at ease
In the navy
Come on now, people, make a stand
In the navy, in the navy
Can’t you see we need a hand
In the navy
Come on, protect the motherland
In the navy
Come on and join your fellow man
In the navy
Come on people, and make a stand
In the navy, in the navy, in the navy

– Village People, In the Navy

Yes folks, it was Navy Day in Peru this past weekend and a good time to feast on a bit of some of our favorite Peruvian cuisine. Who knew Peru had a Navy? It’s not like you ever hear about Peruvian Naval Operations, right? Originally I thought I’d go with an all seafood menu in celebration, but in the end decided to make one course non-seafood. Don’t ask why, it was just one of those decisions.

You might remember our prawn ceviche from the recent Tanabata festival – kept the dish the same other than a sprinkling of finely sliced ají lino hot peppers.

Starting from a traditional consomme de bombitas de papa, I went back to the same dinner referenced above and made a miso and seafood consomme. Into that, a fritter of finely ground fish, a little bacon, potato puree, eggs, parsley, salt and pepper. Then I fried them up rather than making balls and boiling them (actually gave that a try initially, but they fell apart. Besides, I like the texture of a slightly crunchy on the outside fritter in the soup.

From the same website I found an interesting grilled trout with olive quinoa. Gave it a try out and liked the idea, but thought it was a bit… tepid in flavors. So, the components – trout fillets, dry marinated for the day in salt, pepper, lemon peel, sage, fennel seed – drizzled with neutral oil and baked until done. Quinoa – rinsed well and then cooked in a puree of black olives, yellow Peruvian hot peppers, sauteed garlic, salt and pepper, and enough water to cook the quinoa through. The sauce, a jam of ocas boiled, then mashed and cooked down with a little sugar and grated apple. Then I lightly sauteed garlic, onion and rocoto peppers, all finely chopped, added a little oregano and sage, and then mixed that with the jam and a little bit of milk to smooth it out. Needs a slightly prettier presentation, but it was really good.

A fairly traditional pachamanca, which literally means food of the earth – okay, traditionally it would have been cooked in a firepit, but no one does that these days. Chicken, marinated in a puree of beer, cilantro, huacatay, garlic, olive oil, cumin, oregano, red wine vinegar, ají panca (red) puree, salt and pepper, for a full day. Now, the classic way in a pit is to layer the chicken (and other meats), clambake style with the vegetables and cook it all together – I boiled up sweet potatoes, small Andean potatoes, corn and fava beans, separately until they were almost cooked through. Then, the chicken into a dutch oven along with its marinade, covered with a layer of fresh rosemary, oregano, mint and thyme, and cooked it over low heat, covered, for about 3 hours. About half an hour before serving, I laid out the vegetables in a baking pan, ladled a good amount of the bubbling sauce from the chicken, and put it in the oven to finish cooking through and absorbing the flavors. Delicious!

Cream puffs filled and topped with whipped cream cheese, sugar and lucuma extract, and accompanied by strawberries macerated in brown sugar and triple sec. Need anything more be said?