A Northern Peruvian omelet built with salt-dried ray: first soaked and boiled until it shreds clean. Then it is mixed with eggs, ají amarillo, and spring onion, and cooked in a skillet until golden. Fluffy on top, fibrous inside, with a deep maritime flavor and gentle heat. Take your time—the ray sets the pace.
Rinse the dried ray under cold water and soak it for 45 minutes, changing the water once halfway through. It should still smell like the sea, but not hit hard with salt. Meanwhile, finely chop the red onion, spring onion, and yellow chili.
Move the ray to a pot with clean water and boil for 18 to 20 minutes, until soft
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Beat the eggs with the wheat flour until there are no dry lumps. Add the ground garlic, red onion, spring onion, yellow chili, pepper, and salt only if the ray is not too salty. The mixture should be loose, not pasty.
Fold the shredded ray into the egg mixture gently, distributing it without breaking it down too much. You should see strands throughout the mixture; that fibrous bite is part of the charm.
Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Pour in the mixture, level the surface, and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, until the bottom is golden and the edges look set. Flip carefully and cook for 4 to 5 more minutes, until the center is set but still juicy. Serve hot, straight from the skillet.
