This sauce is ubiquitous in Peruvian cuisine and is used in many recipes, both for flavor and color, and as a condiment. In Peru, dried and fresh ají amarillo chilies can be easily found in markets and shops throughout the country, and premade paste is also common. This recipe uses roasted orange bell peppers and fresh habanero, which are both more commonly available in North America and make an excellent flavorful substitute.

 Ingredients

• 1 pound (about 3 whole peppers) fresh orange bell peppers, halved and seeded
• 1 small habanero pepper, seeded and deveined
• 2 key limes, juiced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt to taste

Procedure

1. Place bell peppers face down on a lightly greased baking sheet and broil on high (about 450°F) in the oven until the pepper skins are black and blistered, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully transfer the roasted peppers to an air tight container. Allow the peppers to rest for about 10 minutes then remove the skin from the peppers.
2. Transfer roasted and peeled bell peppers, habanero,  key lime juice, garlic, and olive oil to a high-speed blender and purée until smooth.  Salt to taste.

A street vendor's cooler of marcianos in Huanchaco, Peru, where it is always summer.

Here it is! April 26th and the thermostat in Austin, Texas crossed the 90 degree mark all afternoon. I know that people with a calendar in front of them or those who pay attention to the tilt of the Earth might disagree, but I am ready to officially declare summer. May the rainfall be average and the season end before October.

One of my strategies for enjoying summer is to make sure that I have plenty of cool hydrating food and drinks on hand. In Peru unchurned ice creams and frozen fruit juices are very popular year round. These treats, known as marcianos, are usually produced in homes and sold directly out the front door or in coolers around town. Pretty much any fruit can be used to make marcianos, but the most popular appeared to be coconut, maracuya (passion fruit), and strawberry.

To celebrate the beginning of summer we made our own Maracuy y Fresa Marcianos using passion fruit yogurt and fresh strawberries. They are a delicious and healthy way to break in a new popsicle mold and cool off, if only for a little while.

On the trail to Machu Picchu.

During our 6 months of traveling in Peru, we put together a great collection of vegetarian recipes of classic Peruvian cuisine.  These recipes were informed by trips to local eateries, ingredients found in local markets, and cooking with native Peruvians. Now that we are back in the United States we are  re-testing our recipes with available ingredients and getting feedback (pun intended) from our friends and family. We are also actively seeking a publisher!

If you are interested in learning more about our work or simply want to talk about Peruvian food please visit the About page for our contact information.