- Yield: 6 servings
Serrano-Infused Peanut Cream
Recipe courtesy of Elmo Bida, WCEC, Executive Chef, Foxfire Golf & Country Club, Naples, Fla.
Ingredients
- Serrano ham bones - 2 ea. (washed to remove excess salt)
- water - 2 liters
- white onion - 1 ea., quartered
- garlic - 2 cloves
- carrot - 1 ea., cut into chunks
- celery - 1 stalk
- peanuts - 150 gms., raw, unsalted (soaked for 2 hours)
- potatoes - 2 ea., medium, peeled and diced
- tomato - 1 ea., ripe, peeled and chopped
- yellow chili paste - 1 Tbsp. (ají amarillo) or ají mirasol (optional)
- oil or lard - 2 Tbsps.
- extra potato - 1 ea. (to grate and fry for garnish)
- Serrano ham - 3 thin slices (to fry and garnish)
- penne pasta - 80 gms.
- cilantro - fresh, chopped
- salt - to taste
- pepper - to taste
Instructions
- Stock: Simmer the Serrano ham bones with onion, garlic, carrot, and celery in 2 liters of water for 1.5–2 hours. Strain and set aside.
- Peanuts: Blend the soaked peanuts with one cup of the stock until smooth.
- Base: Sauté the tomato with the yellow chili paste. Stir in the peanut cream and cook gently.
- Soup: Add the strained stock and diced potatoes. Cook for 15 minutes.
- Toasted penne: In a dry pan, toast the penne until lightly golden. Add it to the soup and let it simmer with the potatoes until the pasta is al dente and the soup develops body (12–15 minutes). Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Garnish: Grate the extra potato into fine shreds, fry until golden and crisp, and drain. Fry the serrano ham slices until crisp and crumble.
- Plating: Serve the soup hot, topped with crispy shredded potato, serrano ham crisps, and fresh cilantro.
