Peruvian Ají

These days this is the Peruvian ají recipe that we make most often. It’s very similar to our favorite Peruvian restaurant’s ají recipe in Southern California, especially since they were nice enough to give us a few pointers.

Ingredients:

• Juice of 1-2 lemons
• 1 head of iceberg lettuce
• 3 leaves of romaine lettuce
• 7-8 Serrano Peppers (I leave seeds in)
• 5-7 cloves of garlic (I count larger cloves as 2)
• 1/8 teaspoon of cumin
• ¾ - 1 cup of olive oil or soybean oil
• plenty of salt and pepper (more than you think you should)

Instructions:

Make sure the lettuce, especially at the base of the plant, is not too bitter. Cut away enough of the base if necessary, and this may mean that the recipe requires 2 heads of lettuce, depending on size and how much is removed.

Juice the lemon(s). Chop the garlic and place in the lemon juice for 10-15 minutes. This will help take the bitter edge off of the garlic, as explained by This Serious Eats Article. After 10 minutes remove the garlic from the lemon juice. Dicard the lemon juice.

Combine all remaining ingredients, including the garlic, in a food processor forever until smooth. I’ve found that right out of the food processor it’s very airy, so we usually make it the night before and let it sit in the fridge overnight, although this is not necessary.