Peruvian Aji - Green Chile Sauce at Peruvian Restaurants
- Thread starter James H
- Start date
K Kruger
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
Okay, it's a mayo-based sauce. The green comes from lettuce, jalapeños and, sometimes, cilantro, sometimes scallion.
Here's the flow (you'll have to figure out quantities on your own, based on what you recall and/or what you prefer - but this is easy to do):
Remove the bottom core from a head of romaine; remove all the outer dark green leaves and save for another use. Wash the inner leaves (you should have about half a head) in cold water, pat dry, then tear with your hand into small pieces and put in a blender.
Have 3 jalapeños available. Stem and halve one of them, scrape out the seeds, chop, and add to the blender.
Optional, because some cooks use cilantro and some don't: grab half a bunch of cilantro and remove the leaves from the stems (yes, pick the leaves off as best you can, avoiding the stems; save those for another use or discard). Put about 1/4 of the leaves in the blender.
Optional, because some cooks use scallion and some don't: Cut the roots off of 6 scallions. Chop the white and light green parts finely; add to the blender.
Add a pinch or two of salt to the blender and pulse it on and off several times, scraping doen the sides of the blender every so often. (You're not looking for smooth here, just well chopped and blended.
Add half a cup of mayonaise to the blender and blend till very smooth, scraping the sides as needed.
Taste.
Adjust salt if needed. If more chile flavor is desired add another half a jalapeño, or both halves, seeds scraped out, or even add two. If more heat is desired then don't remove all of the seeds when you halve the jalapeño(s). If you used cilantro and like it as is, so be it; if you want a bit more in there then finely mince some or all of the remaining leaves and add to the blender. If you want it thinner *** a little more lettuce or just a little water. Process till very smooth. Taste for salt.
This should get you started, I'm thinking. As you can see, it's easy so it should be easy for you to figure out what you want in there or not, and in what quantities.
Here's the flow (you'll have to figure out quantities on your own, based on what you recall and/or what you prefer - but this is easy to do):
Remove the bottom core from a head of romaine; remove all the outer dark green leaves and save for another use. Wash the inner leaves (you should have about half a head) in cold water, pat dry, then tear with your hand into small pieces and put in a blender.
Have 3 jalapeños available. Stem and halve one of them, scrape out the seeds, chop, and add to the blender.
Optional, because some cooks use cilantro and some don't: grab half a bunch of cilantro and remove the leaves from the stems (yes, pick the leaves off as best you can, avoiding the stems; save those for another use or discard). Put about 1/4 of the leaves in the blender.
Optional, because some cooks use scallion and some don't: Cut the roots off of 6 scallions. Chop the white and light green parts finely; add to the blender.
Add a pinch or two of salt to the blender and pulse it on and off several times, scraping doen the sides of the blender every so often. (You're not looking for smooth here, just well chopped and blended.
Add half a cup of mayonaise to the blender and blend till very smooth, scraping the sides as needed.
Taste.
Adjust salt if needed. If more chile flavor is desired add another half a jalapeño, or both halves, seeds scraped out, or even add two. If more heat is desired then don't remove all of the seeds when you halve the jalapeño(s). If you used cilantro and like it as is, so be it; if you want a bit more in there then finely mince some or all of the remaining leaves and add to the blender. If you want it thinner *** a little more lettuce or just a little water. Process till very smooth. Taste for salt.
This should get you started, I'm thinking. As you can see, it's easy so it should be easy for you to figure out what you want in there or not, and in what quantities.
K Kruger
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
Do.
Get some aji amarillos - the chile of Peru - sometime. I'll show you some other sauces and pastes that you'd likely enjoy. (Great in chili and other braises too.)
Get some aji amarillos - the chile of Peru - sometime. I'll show you some other sauces and pastes that you'd likely enjoy. (Great in chili and other braises too.)