Paiche ham. Diego Alcántara at La Terraza of the Hotel Los Tajibos
The paiche (pirarucu in Brazil, Arapaima gigas) is the giant of the Amazon basin. It can reach weights of up to 250 kilos and its meat is highly prized throughout the basin. This fact, combined with the fact that it has lungs that force it to surface to breathe, constitutes its main misfortune.
Diego Alcántara, who was one of the head chefs during the revival of Astrid & Gastón in Lima, traveled to Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia's economic capital, where he joined the Hotel Los Tajibos, currently overseeing its culinary offerings. This recipe is from La Terraza, one of the hotel's three dining venues, which also includes the restaurant El Jardín de Asia.
Ingredients for paiche ham:
- 2 kg of loin of paiche.
- 1 kg of sugar.
- 1 kg of salt.
- 200 ml of vegetable oil.
- 200 ml of olive oil.
Ingredients for olive and caper chimichurri
- 30g of dehydrated tomato.
- 20 g of capers.
- 20g of black olives.
- 40 ml of olive oil.
Ingredients for assembly and plating
- 120g sliced paiche ham.
- 15g of clean avocado.
- 3 grams of arugula.
- 25g of chimichurri.
- 15g of country baguette (4 cuts)
- 1 clove of finely chopped garlic.
- 30 ml of olive oil.
Preparation of marinated paiche ham
- Mix the salt and sugar to prepare a dry marinade.
- Spread half of the mixture on the bottom of a tray. Place the paiche fillet on top and cover with the other half of the mixture.
- Cover with cling film and place a weight on top to draw out the water from the paiche and give consistency to the meat.
- Leave in the chamber for 2 days. Remove, rinse to remove any remaining mixture and dry with a cloth.
- Leave in the oil mixture for a day. Cut and store submerged in oil.
Making chimichurri
- Chop everything and mix with the olive oil.
- Place in a bowl and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Assembly and plating
- Slice the paiche ham very thinly. Place on a flat plate and brush with a little olive oil.
- Sprinkle with the olive and caper chimichurri, distribute the chopped garlic on top and finish decorating with diced toasted avocado and arugula.
- Serve with toasted bread.
