Homemade Chicken Cau Cau

50 min
Cau Cau is a traditional Peruvian stew, full of history and flavor. In this version, we replaced the mondongo with tender pieces of chicken, making it lighter and faster to prepare. The dish consists of a stew based on a dressing of onion, yellow pepper and toothpick, which gives it its characteristic golden color. It is cooked with diced potatoes and is enriched with peas and carrots. The soul and the unmistakable aroma of this dish come from peppermint, which is used both in cooking and fresh at the end, providing a unique and delicious scent.

INGREDIENTES

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4
Porciones

HERRAMIENTAS

  • + Medium pot or deep frying pan with a lid.
  • + Cutting board and knife.
  • + Wooden spoon.

INSTRUCCIONES

Step 1:

Season the chicken. Cut the chicken breast into evenly sized cubes and season with salt and pepper.

Step 2:

Prepare the dressing. Heat a jet of oil in a pot over medium heat. Sauté the chopped onion until translucent. Add the cau cau paste (or the mixture of yellow chili pepper, garlic, toothpick, cumin and pepper) and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly to let the flavors develop.

Step 3:

Integrate the Ingredients. Add the chicken cubes to the pot and mix them with the dressing. Add the diced potato and carrot, along with the peas. Stir well so that everything is soaked in the dressing.

Step 4:

Cooking. Pour the water or chicken stock into the pot, just until the ingredients are covered. Add the bay leaf and peppermint stems. Bring to a boil.

Step 5:

Cook on a slow fire. Once it boils, lower the heat, cover the pot and let it cook slowly for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft and the chicken is cooked through.

Step 6:

The Final Touch of Peppermint. Remove the pot from the heat. Remove the bay leaf and peppermint stems. Add the freshly chopped fresh peppermint and stir. The residual heat will cause it to release all its scent.

Step 7:

Serve. Serve the chicken cau cau very hot, accompanied by a generous portion of white rice.

TIPS

  • + The Secret is in Peppermint: Peppermint is the soul of the cau cau. Using the stems during cooking provides a deep flavor, while adding the fresh leaves at the end gives it that hit of unmistakable aroma. Don't skip this step!
  • + Uniform Cut: Chop potatoes and carrots into similar-sized cubes. This ensures that everything is cooked evenly and at the same time.
  • + The Pre-made Dressing: If you want to save even more time, in many Peruvian markets you can buy the ready-made base dressing for cau cau, as shown in the video. It's a great help for busy days.
  • + Traditional Version: If you're feeling adventurous, you can replace chicken with mondongo (beef belly). Just make sure to boil it very well beforehand until it's very soft before adding it to the stew.