THURSDAY'S RECIPE: Lamb Loin with Black Quinoa Crust and Huacatay Green Mole.
- Chef Yerika
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
Some dishes are born from a recipe, and others begin with an idea.
This creation stems from a question: what happens when two ingredients deeply linked to the Andes, such as quinoa and huacatay, meet one of Mexico's most complex culinary expressions, mole?
The result is a dish that represents a very personal part of my understanding of Latin American cuisine.
A carefully cooked lamb loin, covered with a thin crust of toasted black quinoa, accompanied by a green mole sauce made with huacatay and a silky sweet potato puree.
Peru and Mexico appear on the same plate, but neither loses its identity.
Quinoa:
A Grain Born in the Andes.
Long before it became an internationally known ingredient, quinoa was already part of the diet of Andean populations.
For thousands of years it has been cultivated in the highlands of Peru, Bolivia and other regions of the Andes, where its ability to grow in difficult conditions made it a staple food.
There are numerous varieties and colors.
I use black quinoa for this recipe.
Its slightly earthy flavor, its deep color, and especially the texture it develops when cooked and then toasted make it work in a completely different way.
We don't use quinoa as a side dish here.
We transformed it into a crispy crust for the lamb.
Huacatay:
The Aroma of the Andes.
The second Peruvian ingredient that defines this recipe is huacatay.
Anyone who has walked through a Peruvian market will immediately recognize its aroma.
It is fresh, herbal, slightly aniseed and difficult to compare to any other herb.
In traditional Peruvian cuisine, it appears in important preparations such as Arequipa-style ocopa and numerous regional sauces and stews.
In this dish I take it to another territory. I incorporate it into a green mole inspired by Mexico.
Mole as a Bridge.
To speak of mole is to speak of one of the great expressions of Mexican gastronomy.
There is no single mole.
Mexico has countless interpretations that change depending on the region, the ingredients available, and family traditions.
Green moles stand out for their use of fresh ingredients: tomatillos, seeds, chilies, and aromatic herbs.
There I found the perfect bridge to Peru.
Huacatay is integrated into that Mexican structure and completely transforms the result.
We don't want Mexico to taste like Peru, nor Peru to taste like Mexico.
We are looking for a third flavor that can only exist when both cuisines meet.
The Recipe.
Performance.
4 servings.
Approximate time.
1 hour 45 minutes.
Difficulty.
Medium-High.
For the Lamb.
Ingredients.
2 lamb loins of approximately 350–400 g each.
120 g of black quinoa.
1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard.
1 clove of garlic.
2 sprigs of fresh thyme.
1 tablespoon of butter.
1 tablespoon of olive oil.
Sea salt.
Freshly ground black pepper.
Quinoa Preparation.
Wash the black quinoa carefully several times under cold water to remove any saponin residue.
Cook it in lightly salted water until tender but still retains its structure.
Drain it thoroughly.
Spread it out on a tray and let it dry.
Once dry, toast it in a pan over medium heat until it loses moisture and acquires a slightly crispy texture.
Reserve.
This step is important: we want texture, not mushy quinoa stuck to the meat.
Lamb Preparation.
Carefully clean the loins, removing excess fat and connective tissue.
Season with salt and pepper.
Heat a heavy frying pan with olive oil.
Sear the lamb at a high temperature on all sides until you get a well caramelized surface.
Add the butter, garlic, and thyme.
Continuously baste the lamb with the flavored butter for about a minute.
Remove from heat.
Lightly brush the surface with Dijon mustard.
Carefully press the toasted black quinoa onto the outside, forming an even crust.
Finish cooking in a preheated oven at 190 °C / 375 °F until it reaches approximately 54–57 °C / 130–135 °F in the center for a medium-rare to medium doneness.
Remove and let rest for 7 to 10 minutes before cutting.
Huacatay Green Mole
Ingredients.
350 g of tomatillos.
1 poblano pepper.
1 serrano chile.
½ white onion.
2 cloves of garlic.
50g of pumpkin seeds.
1 cup of fresh huacatay leaves.
½ cup of fresh cilantro.
400 ml of light chicken stock.
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil.
Salt to taste.
Preparation.
Roast the tomatillos, poblano pepper, serrano pepper, onion, and garlic until you get slightly caramelized areas.
Toast the seeds separately until they begin to release their aromas.
Blend the roasted vegetables with the pumpkin seeds, huacatay, cilantro, and approximately half of the stock.
Process until you get a very smooth sauce.
Heat the oil in a saucepan.
Carefully add the sauce and cook over medium heat for approximately 10 minutes.
Gradually incorporate the rest of the stock until you achieve a silky consistency.
Adjust the salt.
The sauce should retain a bright green color and, above all, the characteristic aroma of huacatay.
Silky Sweet Potato Puree
Ingredients.
600 g of sweet potato.
50g of butter.
80 ml of cream.
A pinch of nutmeg.
Salt.
White pepper.
Preparation.
Roast the whole sweet potatoes until they are completely tender.
Using the oven instead of boiling them allows their natural sugars to concentrate.
Remove the pulp while it is still hot.
Process with the butter and gradually add the hot cream.
Pass through a fine sieve to achieve a completely silky texture.
Season with salt, white pepper and a minimal amount of nutmeg.
Plating.
Place a generous spoonful of sweet potato puree slightly off-center on the plate.
Spread it gently with the back of a spoon.
Add the huacatay green mole around the purée without completely covering it.
Cut the lamb loin into thick medallions to show the pinkness of the meat and the contrast of the black quinoa crust.
Place two or three pieces on top of the puree.
Finish with some toasted pumpkin seeds, small leaves of huacatay or micro-cilantro, and a few drops of olive oil.
The plate should maintain clean lines. Each element has enough personality to speak for itself.
Chef Yerika's Tips.
The quinoa must be really dry.
If it retains too much moisture, we'll never get a crispy crust.
Cooking it, drying it and then toasting it completely changes its texture.
Don't overcook the huacatay.
Huacatay is the soul of mole.
Cooking for too long will dull its aroma and also the beautiful green color of the sauce.
Respect the lamb's rest.
After coming out of the oven, the lamb needs to rest.
Cutting it immediately would cause the loss of a good part of its juices.
Roast the sweet potato.
Boiled sweet potato incorporates water.
Roasted sweet potato concentrates flavor.
It's a small technical change that transforms the final result.
The Balance of the Plate.
The richness of the lamb needs contrast.
Quinoa adds texture.
Huacatay and tomatillo provide freshness and acidity.
The seeds add depth.
The sweet potato introduces natural sweetness.
And the serrano chili leaves a clean spiciness at the end.
No single ingredient should completely overpower the others.
That balance is precisely where the fusion occurs.
Chef Yerika's Vision
For me, fusing two cuisines should never simply mean putting ingredients from different countries on the same plate.
There has to be a reason.
Quinoa and huacatay speak of the Andes and the Peruvian land. Mole is one of the deepest and most diverse expressions of Mexican cuisine.
The lamb becomes the canvas that allows both worlds to meet.
This recipe represents precisely what interests me most about cooking: respecting where we come from and, at the same time, daring to imagine where we can go.
Because preserving a tradition does not mean keeping it static.
It also means allowing it to continue evolving.
Comments