"Locro" Creamy Peruvian Squash Recipe

One of the things I am learning about and enjoying in Peru is... the food!

 

Peruvians are very passionate about food. They like to enjoy their meals, and spend a lot of the day preparing food, eating it and even just talking about it!

 

There are SO many delicious dishes I have tried here, and so many more that I have yet to try!

 

This week I started bringing my camera and a pen and notepad to the kitchen while we make lunch. 

I am collecting recipes of all the delicious Peruvian dishes that I am learning to make here and going to compile them into my very own little Peruvian cookbook!

I am going to share some of these recipes on the blog- so if you want to, you can make an authentic Peruvian meal exactly how I am eating it in Peru!

Here is a recipe of what we ate for lunch today! Fresh from the kitchen of my Peruvian family. 

It is a creamy Peruvian Squash dish called "Lucro". 

 

(WARNING: IF YOU ARE ALLERGIC AND/OR DEATHLY AFRAID OF CARBS/CALORIES- DON'T EVEN ATTEMPT TO MAKE ANY SORT OF PERUVIAN FOOD! HA HA!! )

“Lucro” 

Creamy Peruvian Squash dish

(Lucro is a hearty squash soup from the Andes region of peru. It is made in Peru with a special type of Peruvian squash called “Zapallo Macre”. It is about 2 times bigger than a pumpkin, and green on the outside and a creamy yellow on the inside. Its flavor is unique, and rich, but unfortunately Macre can only be found in peru, as well as some of the other ingredients used here such as “choclo” a large kerneled sweet white corn, “Haucatay” a herb only grown in Peru. I have substituted these Peru-only ingredients for similar counterparts that are available in the USA. )

 

 Serves: 4-6

Preparation time: 1.5 hours

 

Ingredients:

-      1 medium sized purple onion, diced

-      2 cloves of garlic, minced 

-      6 cups, cubed butternut squash

-       ½ cup fava beans, shelled and rinsed

-      2 medium sized golden potatoes, diced

-      1 cup hominy

-      ½ cup chopped “queso fresco” ( i think this is called farmers cheese in the states. but am not sure?)

-      1 small can of evaporated milk

-      8 ounces of cream cheese

-      3 TBS butter

-      fresh sweet basil leaves, washed

-      fresh mint leaves, washed]

-      Salt & Pepper to taste

 

Preparation:

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the chopped onion, cook for about 5 minutes or until tender
2. Add the crushed garlic, salt and pepper and cook for another 2 minutes
3. Add the shelled fava beans squash and potatoes
4. Cover pot and turn stove top to a low simmer.
5. Cook at this heat for about 25 minutes or until squash and potatoes are soft and beginning to cremate
6. When the squash mixture is thoroughly cooked, Use a spoon to soften and mash the squash and potato chunks into a creamy puree.
7. While stirring the mixture, Add the cream cheese, butter and milk.
8. Continue to stir until all is melted and mixed.
9. Add the chopped Queso fresco 
10. Add a small  handful of mint and basil leaves, and 1- 2 TBS of coarse sea salt.
11. Stir well
12. Turn off heat, cover, and let the Lucro settle and thicken for about 15 minutes.
13. You can enjoy the Locro alone as a soup in a bowl or for a more Peruvian setting- serve over Rice and “Pollo Frito” - Peruvian styled fried chicken* with cooked veggie side salad like the one below:

 

Make an easy cooked veggie salad- steam julienne cut carrots, brocolli, diced green beans, grean peas and  sweet corn. Drain and let cool and then mix with the juice of 1 lime, home-made mayonaise and salt and pepper to taste!

SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO PRESENT LUCRO

Place a generous portion of steaming white rice on a plate, topped with a hot piece of Peruvian fried chicken*  Pour a generous portion of Lucro Creamy Squash over the chicken and Rice, but make sure to leave a little room on the plate for a side of “cooked veggie salad” like this one:

 

You can fancy it up by garneshing your Lucro Plate with 1 fresh mint leaf and 1 fresh basil leaf on top

Peruvian styled fried chicken!

 

 

*When I hear “fried chicken” I immediately think of KFC… Deep fried, breaded chicken with a side of mashed potatoes or greasy mac and cheese. 

 

But for Peruvians- that’s not called fried chicken (or pollo frito)  thats called “Broaster”. 

 

Peruvian styled fried chicken- is just thinly sliced chicken breast- marinated in fresh lime juice, salt and pepper and fried until crispy and golden brown in a few tablespoons of vegetable oil.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHY DON'T YOU TRY IT OUT AND ENJOY A LITTLE TASTE OF PERU!!!