Sopa de Pescado Ahumado con Frijoles Peruanos

I find that smoked meats bring out a singular boosted flavor when served as the primary ingredient.  With this recipe, I wanted to present a smoked fish recipe of multilayered flavors and this was accomplished adapting ingredients used for fish chowder with Peruvian beans (aka Peruano, Mayocabo, or Canario).  These pale yellow beans have a mild and buttery consistency and really soaked-up the flavors of the vegetables to achieve a delicious spectrum of flavors.  These beans are very popular in Jalisco Mexico and easy to find in the US in Mexican grocery markets  Lets get started.

Ingredients

Serves 6

Beans

2 cups peruano beans

1 clove garlic peeled and mashed

6 cups of water

Salt

Stew

2 tablespoons extra-virgen olive oil

2 leeks cut in ¼ inch circles

3 celery ribs, cut in ½ inch slices

1 medium onion chopped

2 garlic cloves minced

3 tablespoons flour

6 cups chicken broth 

1 bay leaf

¾ lb smoked whitefish, flaked

3 scallions thinly cut or chives

Salt and pepper

Preparation

Beans

Spread the beans on a flat surface and inspect and remove any debris and broken beans.  Wash them in water and drain.  Place the beans in a 2 quart sauce pan, add 1 smashed garlic clove and 6 cups of water.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a very low simmer, cover and cook for 2 hours and 20 minutes. Periodically check the water level and add hot water as necessary.  When the beans are cooked soft to the touch, add ¾ tablespoon of salt.

Stew

In a 4 quart pot, heat the olive oil. Add the leeks, celery, onion, garlic and a ¼  teaspoon salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are just softened, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the  chicken broth and bay leaf and bring just to a boil. Simmer over lower heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and the soup is slightly thickened, about 7 minutes. 

Add smoked fish and beans into the soup and simmer over moderately low heat for, 5 to 7 minutes. Discard the bay leaf and season with salt and pepper. Ladle the chowder into bowls and garnish with scallions, pepper and salt to taste.

Notes

The soup can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat gently before serving. Serve with crusty bread or tortillas.

Buen Provecho

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