Chupe is typical of most South American cuisine but specifically that of Chile and Peru. It is referred to as a soup but is much more like a stew as we know it the states. Like many traditional regional specific staple meals, chupe enjoys are a myriad of variations, featuring anything from chicken, veal, beef tripe or other offal. However, the most common and the seemingly most popular variations are the seafood versions.

Here for the proteins, we use camarones (shrimp) and filete de pescado frito (fillet of fried fish) tilapia but you can use any firm white fish. I also took the liberty to utilize some baby Vidalia onions I found at the local farmers market in place of the standard white or yellow onion. The result was a milder, sweeter onion undertone but you can substitute yellow.

Realize that a poached egg is dropped into the bottom of each soup bowl before the liquid is ladled in. Do not skip this step as it adds a totally unique taste experience along side the sweet, creamy, savory soup, crispy fish and shrimp. Don’t by pass the garnish either as they too play a big roll in stretching the taste spectrum with the sharp tangy cheese and the hint of anise from the fresh basil.

INGREDIENTS:

For the fish

• 1 lb tilapia, cut into bit sized strips
• kosher salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• 3 cups flour
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter

For the soup

• 2 – 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons roasted garlic pulp
• 1 Scotch bonnet chile, seeded (sub habanero)
• 1 cup finely chopped baby Vidalia onion (sub yellow onion)
• 2 medium tomatoes, peeled and seeded
• 2 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
• 3 cups diced small yellow potatoes (about 1/2 inch cubes)
• 1/2 cup uncooked long grain rice
• 64 oz chicken stock
• 1 can sweet corn, drained
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 1 lb large shrimp peeled, deveined and diced
• 8 poached eggs
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
• 1/4 cup queso fresco (sub your favorite Mexican crumble cheese)

Roasting Garlic: Roasted garlic is much milder that raw or even sautéed and breaks down very easily which works well with soups. To roast garlic simply place a few unpeeled cloves on a baking sheet and into a 350°F or so oven until they are very tender. Allow to cool and pinch one end of each clove to extract and capture the pulp. 

Peeling Tomaotes: To peel and seed a tomato simply place them in boiling water for about a minute, remove and allow to cool. The skin should slide right off. Cut the top off the tomato and squeeze out all of the seeds. Viola!

Poaching Eggs: For poaching eggs, read this article over at What’s Cooking America for in-depth info on the process along with several excellent tips to achieve perfect poaching.

PREPARATION:

For the fish

Season fish with salt and pepper. Dredge with flour, shaking off excess. In sauté pan, heat oil and butter. Sear fish on both sides until golden. Drain on paper towels and cover. Place in the fridge until needed.

For the soup

In a large pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Sauté the garlic and Scotch bonnet chile about 30 seconds. Add the onion and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, salt, and pepper and cook for another 3 minutes. Now add the potatoes, rice and chicken stock. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat, cover and simmer until rice is cooked, about 15 – 20 minutes. Finally stir in the corn, oregano, shrimp, fried fish pieces and evaporated milk and remove from heat and cover. Allow to sit until the shrimp is cooked.

To serve, place a poached egg in a soup bowl. Ladle the soup over the egg, garnish with a little bit of crumbled queso, and top with a pinch of fresh chopped basil.

Serves 8

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