Paiche “Aji Negro” and Amazonian Roots

Name: Paiche “Aji Negro” and Amazonian Roots
Yield: Serves 2
Cuisine: South America
Ingredients: 1⅔ oz. (50 g) coco yam (Colocasia esculenta); 2 cups (480 ml) “aji negro,” wild yuca juice; 1⅔ oz. (50 g) ñame (Dioscorea trifida); 2 dried aji dulce; 4 wild cilantro roots; 3½ oz. (100 g) sweet corn root (Calathea allouia); 2 fresh paiche, cleaned; 1 tsp. fresh turmeric; 1⅔ oz. (50 g) yuca; 2 leaves fresh wild cilantro; 1 oz. (30 g) wild yuca starch, roasted; 1 oz. (30 g) yuca flour, roasted; 1⅔ oz. (50 g) taro root; 2 fresh charapita pepper, crushed; 2 fresh sweet chili pepper, crushed; 2 cups (480 ml) smoked pork broth

Preparation info

Serves
2

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Umami

By Thomas Keller , Harold McGee , Michael Anthony , Heston Blumenthal , Alexandre Bourdas , David Kinch , Virgilio Martinez , Nobu Matsuhisa , Yoshihiro Murata and Pedro Miguel Schiaffino

Published 2014

About

An Amazonian freshwater fish, the paiche is a monster, with some specimens growing to over two meters in length. I have gone to the Amazon myself to catch them. Mild in taste, they are easy to eat and ideal in soups and sautés.

Ingredients

2 fresh paiche, cleaned
4 wild cilantro roots
2 dried aji dulce

Side dish

Method

Peel the root vegetables and cut them into equal sizes. Place them in a pot with the “aji negro” and smoked pork broth. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and cook until the roots are tender. Carefully control the doneness of each root—don’t overcook them. Take the roots out as they are cooked and reserve. Reserve the broth.

Coat the cooked yuca with roasted yuca flour. Coat the taro root