Sweaty Fish Recipe

In the generous and varied list of dishes that Peruvian gastronomy offers, there is a special group of preparations that are given the title of “levanta muertos”. And it is that after savoring one of these recipes, the body can calmly recover after spending an endless night of celebration. Well, one of those incredible dishes that are part of this group is the sweaty fish, it is made with a base of good fish, whole or in medallions, white or red. In addition, the sweaty fish looks like a soup that incorporates all the power of Peruvian chili peppers into the liquid, and the particular flavor of a great chicha de jora. This recipe is suitable for all kinds of palates.

Ingredients to make Sweaty Fish:

• 5 fish medallions
• 300 milliliters of chicha de jora
• 300 milliliters of fish stock
• 1 red onion
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons of ají amarillo paste
• 1 tablespoon of ají panca paste
• 2 coriander sprigs
• 1 splash of vegetable oil
• salt, pepper and oregano

How to make Sweaty Fish:

1. Do you wonder how Peruvian fish sweat is prepared? Well, to start with the sweaty fish recipe, have the chicha de jora ready, the fish stock, the ground garlic, the chili paste, the red onion cut into thick julienne strips (as in the image) and in the same way, the tomatoes, trying to make them the same thickness. In addition, you can ask that the fish be given to you in medallions or, if you prefer, you can use a whole fish.
2. Now start with the dressing. In a saucepan, heat a stream of vegetable oil over medium heat and add the ground garlic, cook for 1 minute. Then, add the ají panca paste and also the ají amarillo paste, cook for 2 more minutes.
3. When the chili pastes have cooked, add the chopped onion and raise the heat to the maximum. At this point you only need the onion to give the dressing its flavor. After 2 minutes, remove the onion.
4. Add the liquid ingredients: the chicha de jora and the fish stock. Along with them add the fish medallions and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cover the pot and let cook 5 minutes.
5. Tip: the cooking time of the fish in the liquid will depend a lot on the type of fish you use. Be careful not to use fish with very weak fibers, as overcooking could cause them to melt in the liquid.
6. When the 5 minutes have passed, return the onion to the pot and also add the chopped tomatoes along with the finely chopped coriander. Let cook for another 3 minutes.
7. Trick: you can also prepare the sweaty fish in the oven.
8. Salt rectification. It is a very simple recipe, but the key is to perfectly balance the acidity of the chicha de jora with the strength of the flavor of the fish. To serve this sweaty fish we can accompany it with a portion of loose white rice and some fried yucca sticks. You can also try and provide a touch more acid with a little lemon juice. Decorate and flavor with a little more chopped cilantro.
9.  Tip: if you notice that the acidity of the chicha de jora is still too strong or the alcohol has not completely evaporated, you can reserve the fish pieces for a moment until you notice that the liquid remains at its point of flavor.

How to make a good fish stock

To achieve a good stock or fish broth, the important thing is to concentrate the flavors of the fish well together with the vegetables that you are going to use. We recommend you boil the heads and spines of the fish along with red onion hearts, garlic cloves, celery, coriander sprigs and a small piece of kion. You could also add, if you like, the carrot and the leek. After you’ve boiled for about 30 minutes, test how concentrated the broth is. If you notice that you still don’t feel much flavor, let cook for several more minutes. There is no more mystery!