Creamy marine intensity that defines the character of Moquegua. This chupe is a symphony of textures where river shrimp takes the throne, wrapped in the earthy depth of peanuts and the mineral touch of seaweed. A powerful dish that comforts the soul and celebrates the abundance of Peru’s southern coast.
Turn what you find into an experience you can actually bring to your kitchen.
Soak the dried seaweed in the water for 10 minutes, drain it, and cut it into short strips. Check the shrimp: they should smell clean and briny. Cut the yellow potato, cut or separate the corn, peel the fava beans if the skins are thick, and chop the huacatay.
Heat the vegetable oil and cook the red onion for 6 minutes, until soft. Add the ground garlic, ají panca paste, yellow chili, cumin, pepper, and part of the salt. Cook for 6 minutes, until the sofrito is red, glossy, and no longer raw-smelling.
Pour in the shrimp broth and simmer gently for 5 minutes so it absorbs the sofrito flavor. Add the yellow potato and corn; cook for 12 minutes, until the potato is almost tender and the broth looks thicker.
Add the fava beans, drained seaweed, and shrimp. Cook for 4 minutes, until the shrimp are orange and firm. Lower the heat and add the finely ground or chopped peanuts and the evaporated milk; warm for 2 minutes without a hard boil so it does not split.
Turn off the heat, adjust with the remaining salt, and finish with huacatay. Serve the Moquegua-style shrimp chupe very hot with cooked white rice on the side or at the bottom of the bowl. It should be creamy and briny, not a watery soup with sad shrimp floating around.
