A coastal take on Peruvian escabeche that puts giant squid at the center of the plate. A light coating gives it a tender bite beneath onion, chilies, and vinegar, while sweet potato, egg, and rice round everything out. A short rest deepens the sauce enough to make the second bite feel almost automatic.
Turn what you find into an experience you can actually bring to your kitchen.
Rinse the rice until the water runs almost clear. Place it in a pot with part of the water and part of the salt; bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 to 17 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the grains are tender and separate. Turn off the heat and leave covered while you continue.
Peel the sweet potato and cut it into large pieces. Place it in another pot with the remaining water, the eggs, and another portion of the salt. Once boiling, cook the eggs for 10 minutes and remove them; continue cooking the sweet potato for 8 to 10 more minutes, until easily pierced with a knife while the pieces still hold their shape. Drain, peel the eggs, and cut both into serving portions.
Remove any thick outer skin from the giant squid, cut it into medium squares, and dry it thoroughly. Season with the cumin, half of the black pepper, and another portion of the salt; coat lightly with the cornstarch and shake off the excess. Heat most of the oil and fry the squid in batches for 1½ to 2 minutes, until lightly golden and opaque in the center. Transfer immediately to paper towels; extra cooking at this stage will only make it tough.
Cut the red onion into thick feathers and the ají amarillo into strips. Heat the remaining oil over medium heat and cook the garlic and ají panca paste for 2 minutes, until the chili paste looks glossy and no longer smells raw. Add the onion, ají amarillo, oregano, remaining black pepper, and remaining salt; sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, until the onion softens on the outside while retaining some bite.
Pour in the red wine vinegar and boil for 1 minute, just long enough to soften its harshest edge without losing its acidity. Return the squid and toss for 1 minute over low heat to coat it with the escabeche; turn off the heat immediately. Let it rest for 10 minutes, allowing the onion and squid to absorb some of the seasoning and the flavors to round out.
Arrange lettuce leaves on the plates and divide the escabeche with plenty of onion and chili. Complete each serving with rice, sweet potato, half an egg, and black olives. Serve warm or at room temperature: the squid should remain tender and the dressing sharp, aromatic, and juicy. And that’s it—spoon some of the sauce over the sweet potato before tasting it and those few minutes of resting will suddenly make perfect sense.
