An Arequipa classic with a creamy broth, deep shrimp flavor, and the unmistakable character of a picantería. Potato, rice, corn, fava beans, and squash give it body without hiding the river shrimp, while milk, fresh cheese, and huacatay round out every spoonful. Hearty, steaming, and built for the center of the table.
Turn what you find into an experience you can actually bring to your kitchen.
Clean the shrimp and reserve 4 whole shrimp for serving. Remove the heads and shells from the rest, keeping the cleaned tails for the end. Put the heads, shells, and coral in the pot with all of the water; once it boils, lower to medium heat and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, pressing them lightly with the spoon, until the liquid is orange and smells deeply of shrimp. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer and keep the broth hot.
Dry the pot, heat the oil over medium heat, and cook the chopped red onion for 5 to 6 minutes, until translucent and lightly browned around the edges. Add the garlic, ají panca paste, pepper, and two fifths of the salt; cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring, until the ají looks dark, glossy, and no longer smells raw.
Pour the hot shrimp broth over the aderezo and add the rice, yellow potato pieces, corn, macre squash, and half of the huacatay. Simmer gently for 15 to 18 minutes, until the potato is almost tender, the rice has opened up, and the squash is beginning to soften at the edges, lightly thickening the broth.
Add the fresh fava beans and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until tender but still green. Taste the broth: it should feel concentrated and slightly saltier than you want at the end, since the milk and cheese will soften the seasoning.
Add the reserved shrimp tails and whole shrimp, then crack the eggs one by one over the chupe, keeping them separated. Cover and cook at a very gentle simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, until the shrimp are pink, opaque, and still juicy and the whites have set around the yolks.
Lower the heat to its minimum and add the evaporated milk, cubed fresh cheese, dried oregano, the remaining huacatay, and the remaining salt. Heat for 1 to 2 minutes without letting it boil hard, until the cheese softens and the broth is creamy and thick but still spoonable. Serve immediately, making sure every bowl gets shrimp, egg, and plenty of broth. And that is it—if you can smell huacatay and shrimp before the spoon reaches you, you are in very good shape 😌
