A deeply comforting northern Peruvian green soup. Duck is browned and slowly cooked with cilantro, chilies and dark beer, then rice, yellow potatoes and peas join the pot for a hearty, fragrant broth built for generous spoonfuls.
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Blend the cilantro with about 150 ml of the water until you have a fluid green paste. Finely chop the onion and cut the yellow potatoes into medium pieces; having everything ready keeps the aromatic base from waiting and losing fragrance.
Pat the duck pieces dry and season them with part of the salt. Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot and brown the duck for 7 to 8 minutes, starting skin-side down, until deeply colored with some fat rendered out. Remove the pieces and set aside.
In the same pot, cook the red onion for 5 minutes, until softened. Add the ground garlic, ají mirasol paste, ají amarillo paste, cumin, pepper, and another portion of the salt; cook for 3 more minutes. Stir in the blended cilantro and cook for another 2 minutes, until the base looks deep green, glossy and intensely aromatic.
Return the duck to the pot and add the dark beer. Cook for 2 minutes, scraping up the browned bits, then add the remaining water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer partially covered for 35 to 40 minutes, until the duck is tender when pierced and the liquid has taken on the flavor of the bird and cilantro.
Add the white rice, yellow potatoes, and remaining salt. Simmer gently for 15 minutes, stirring only a couple of times to prevent sticking, until the rice is nearly cooked and the potatoes are tender but still intact.
Add the peas and cook for 4 more minutes. Serve immediately with one duck piece in each bowl and plenty of green broth around it. The aguadito should remain brothy yet full-bodied, with rice suspended in the liquid and never dry like arroz con pato. And that's it—a green northern Peruvian pot with serious restorative powers. 🦆🥣
