A hearty Arequipeño Friday chupe where fish, shrimp, machas, and fish roe meet wheat mote, potato, fava beans, and corn. Ají panca, huacatay, milk, and fresh cheese mellow its deep seafood base. A picantería classic made to reach the table steaming.
Turn what you find into an experience you can actually bring to your kitchen.
Cut the corvina into large pieces and clean the shrimp and machas. Cut the potato, squash, corn, and cabbage into spoon-sized pieces and chop the onion. Set aside half of the fish roe to thicken the broth later.
Heat the oil in a large pot and cook the onion for 5 minutes, until soft and translucent. Add the garlic, ají panca paste, pepper, and half the huacatay; cook for another 2 minutes, until the aderezo looks dark and glossy with no raw chili aroma.
Blend half of the fish roe with about 15% of the fish stock for 20 seconds, until coarse but even. Add it to the pot along with the remaining stock, potato, corn, fava beans, squash, cabbage, wheat mote, and salt.
Once the chupe reaches a boil, reduce to medium heat and cook for 14–16 minutes, until the potato is tender, the fava beans are cooked, and the squash begins to break down slightly into the broth. It should gain body and thickness while remaining loose enough to ladle.
Add the remaining fish roe, corvina, shrimp, and machas. Simmer gently for 4–5 minutes, without stirring aggressively, until the fish is opaque and flaky, the shrimp have fully changed color, and the shellfish are hot throughout. If checking the fish with a thermometer, aim for at least 63°C internally.
Reduce the heat to its lowest setting and add the evaporated milk, cubed fresh highland cheese, and remaining huacatay. Heat for 2 minutes without allowing a hard boil, until the cheese just softens and the broth becomes creamy, thick, and deeply marine. Serve immediately. And that’s it—this is a proper picantería Friday: big pot, serious spoon.
