Peruvian Shrimp Chowder (Chupe de Camarones)
Chupe de camarones Say it: CHOO-peh deh kah-mah-ROH-nehs
Chupe de camarones is Arequipa's famous shrimp chowder, a thick coral-colored soup built on a broth of toasted shrimp shells. Shrimp are simmered with yellow potatoes, corn and peas in a milk-and-cheese base scented with aji amarillo, oregano and huacatay, then finished with whole eggs poached right in the pot. It is a generous, spoon-standing dish served at long family lunches and in the city's picanterías, tasting gently spicy, sweet and deeply savory.
Peruvian Shrimp Chowder (Chupe de Camarones)
Chupe de camarones
Pronounced CHOO-peh deh kah-mah-ROH-nehs
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 1 hr 10 min
- Level
- Medium
Also nut-free.
Allergens: contains gluten, milk, egg, shellfish. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
For the shrimp broth
For the chowder
To finish
Method
Heat 1 tbsp (15 ml) of the oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp heads and shells and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring, until they turn deep pink, smell toasted and the pot is nearly dry. Add the water and bay leaf, bring to a simmer, and cook uncovered for 20 minutes, then strain through a fine sieve, pressing on the solids; discard the solids and keep the broth.
Wipe the pot, add the remaining 2 tbsp (30 ml) oil and set over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft, translucent and just starting to color at the edges.
Stir in the garlic, aji amarillo paste, oregano and cumin and cook for 2 minutes, until the paste darkens slightly and smells fragrant. Add the tomatoes and cook for 8-10 minutes, until they collapse into a thick, jammy sauce that pulls away from the pot.
Pour in the strained shrimp broth and bring to a gentle boil. Add the potatoes and corn, lower the heat, and simmer for 12-15 minutes, until the potatoes are almost tender when pierced with a knife but still hold their shape.
Add the peas and breadcrumbs, stir well, and simmer for 5 minutes more, until the soup thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Reduce the heat to low, stir in the milk and crumbled cheese, and season with salt and pepper. Heat gently for 3-4 minutes without boiling, until the cheese melts and the broth turns pale coral and velvety.
Add the shrimp and cook for 2 minutes, until they curl and turn opaque pink. Crack the eggs one at a time into a small cup and slide each into a hollow in the soup, spacing them apart, then cover the pot and poach for 3-4 minutes, until the whites are set and the yolks still soft.
Turn off the heat and stir in the huacatay and mint, keeping the eggs intact. Taste for salt and serve at once, ladling one egg into each deep bowl.
Ladle into deep bowls, giving each person an egg, some corn and a good share of shrimp, and serve very hot.
Regional variant: Fish chupe (Chupe de pescado)
Replace the shrimp with 1 lb (450 g) firm white fish such as sea bass, cut into large chunks, and build the broth from fish bones and heads or a light fish stock instead of shrimp shells. Omit the shell-toasting step, simmer the fish for only 3-4 minutes at the very end, and keep the potatoes, corn, milk, cheese and poached eggs as written; a spoonful of aji panca gives the broth a smokier, redder tone.
Cook's notes
- Toasting the shrimp shells until dry and deeply pink is what gives the chowder its color and sweetness — do not skip or rush this step.
- Once the milk and cheese go in, keep the heat low; a hard boil can curdle the milk and toughen the shrimp.
- Aji amarillo pastes vary in heat, so start with 2 tbsp, taste after it has fried, and add more if you want a stronger kick.
Serve with
Warm crusty bread or a small mound of white rice, and a glass of chicha morada or an ice-cold lager.
Make ahead and storage
The shrimp broth can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated, or frozen for 1 month. The finished chowder keeps 2 days in the fridge, but reheat it gently and add the shrimp and eggs fresh, as they toughen on reheating.
