Anticuchos

PHOTO: COURTESY LA MAR

From: Chef Gastón Acurio, La Mar, San Francisco. Yield: 4 servings.

Panchita Salsa:

1 bag Rocoto peppers

½ tomato

1¾ oz. garlic

½ lb. red onions

½ bunch fresh parsley

to taste, salt and pepper

5¼ oz. soda crackers

2 cups water

2 cups canola oil

Anticuchos:

18 oz. protein (mahi mahi, chicken, skirt steak)

2 red onions, peeled and cores removed, cut into 1" wedges

2 red bell peppers, cored, seeds and ribs removed, cut into 1" × 1½" rectangles

as needed, scallions

as needed, parsley

4 oz. Homemade Anticuchera Sauce (available in most Latin Markets)

as needed, sides of corn kernels cut from cooked corn on the cob (can vary to taste)

4 oz. Rocoto sauce (available in most Latin markets)

6 oz. Panchita Salsa

For Panchita Salsa: Clean Rocoto by only removing seeds, and cut into 6 pieces. Wash tomato and cut into 6 pieces. Peel onion and cut into 6 pieces. In a large saute pan, heat oil until it is smoking hot and saute Rocoto, tomatoes and onions until fully cooked, but developing as little color as possible. Once fully cooked, add parsley and quickly saute, only to wilt. Cool the mix. Once cold, add all contents to blender. Add cold water and puree at high speed. Add soda crackers. Slowly pour in oil to emulsify. Season with salt and pepper.

For Anticuchos: Clean scallions; using the white stem, cut into 1½" sticks. Cut protein into 1½ oz. even portions. Assemble on 10" metal skewers: Place red onion, bell pepper, scallion and protein; repeat process 3 times. If you have different colored bell peppers, alternate colors. Repeat process for all skewers.

To compose: Heat grill or griddle to high. Brush anticucho skewer with oil and season with salt. Place on grill and cook each side to desired temperature. Brush anticucho with Anticuchera sauce. On a rectangular plate, place one side corn accompanied by a ramekin of Rocoto and Panchita sauce. Place anticucho over more corn; top off with chopped parsley. Can be served with fried potatoes.