Thanks to Angela (Muchas Gracias!) I have some cuye photos to share from our lunch last Sunday (9/1 I think).
Gimena had invited us over to her house for a cuye lunch and it was quite a treat. Can´t say I´ve ever killed something then consumed it within an hour or two. (Not counting vegetables)
Cuye Preparation:
1) Catch the little bugger.
2) Hold firmly by neck and smash it´s head in, nose first. Try not to lose your breakfast over the sound of the crunch and green goo dripping from the nose.
3) Dip in scalding hot water and pull hair from skin.
4) Burn any remaining hair off via the flame from the gas stove.
5) Cut off teeth and anus.
6) Cut mouth until head lies open and flat.
7) Cut belly and open main body cavity…find the little sac that can ruin the meat, remove, then remove remaining organs.
8) Bend and break bones until body lies flat.
9) Season with flour, ahÃ, and various other spices.
10) Place in boiling pot of water with onion and cilantro.
11) Remove from pot and season with lemon juice and mustard.
12) Fry in oil.
13) Chop into 3rds and serve.
Seeing that I had a hand in its death I was determined to eat every bit of it whether I liked it or not, but it was actually pretty good. We had it served over a bed of mote with potatoes and salsa. Aside from the difficulty of stripping meat from such little bones, I enjoyed my first cuye.
While Gimena shared cuye, I brought and made my own version of stovetop kettle corn for them that seemed to be a hit. Andrew said she even made it herself a few days later, albeit with salt this time.
Gimena´s husband Luis makes bread each day to sell to the markets so after lunch we got to watch him and his apprentice ´Maestro´make huge batches of bread rolls on the table. After watching Angela make some at the hacienda I could really appreciate the skill these guys had. They were quick and efficient. Unlike us, Maestro did no rolling or globbing of dough onto the baking sheets. He simply kneaded and threw in perfect round balls of dough.
In all, it was a great day in Picalqui.
Pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/14158549@N02/sets/72157622286337084/
Gimena had invited us over to her house for a cuye lunch and it was quite a treat. Can´t say I´ve ever killed something then consumed it within an hour or two. (Not counting vegetables)
Cuye Preparation:
1) Catch the little bugger.
2) Hold firmly by neck and smash it´s head in, nose first. Try not to lose your breakfast over the sound of the crunch and green goo dripping from the nose.
3) Dip in scalding hot water and pull hair from skin.
4) Burn any remaining hair off via the flame from the gas stove.
5) Cut off teeth and anus.
6) Cut mouth until head lies open and flat.
7) Cut belly and open main body cavity…find the little sac that can ruin the meat, remove, then remove remaining organs.
8) Bend and break bones until body lies flat.
9) Season with flour, ahÃ, and various other spices.
10) Place in boiling pot of water with onion and cilantro.
11) Remove from pot and season with lemon juice and mustard.
12) Fry in oil.
13) Chop into 3rds and serve.
Seeing that I had a hand in its death I was determined to eat every bit of it whether I liked it or not, but it was actually pretty good. We had it served over a bed of mote with potatoes and salsa. Aside from the difficulty of stripping meat from such little bones, I enjoyed my first cuye.
While Gimena shared cuye, I brought and made my own version of stovetop kettle corn for them that seemed to be a hit. Andrew said she even made it herself a few days later, albeit with salt this time.
Gimena´s husband Luis makes bread each day to sell to the markets so after lunch we got to watch him and his apprentice ´Maestro´make huge batches of bread rolls on the table. After watching Angela make some at the hacienda I could really appreciate the skill these guys had. They were quick and efficient. Unlike us, Maestro did no rolling or globbing of dough onto the baking sheets. He simply kneaded and threw in perfect round balls of dough.
In all, it was a great day in Picalqui.
Pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/14158549@N02/sets/72157622286337084/
4 comments:
Props to you for actually killing the little bugger. I couldn't bring myself to do it! I'm glad you got the photos okay. I'll upload them onto flikr later which I think might make it easier for sharing. I hope you're having a blast! I'm enjoying living vicariously through you. :)
Hey Sis!
I might have to keep a close eye on my small animals that next time your home. You might just get hungry!!
Love Ya,
Mouse
OMG!!! I'm totally speechless. Now way. NO WAY. I have to admit it doesn't look so bad on the plate - reminds me of rabbit.
Hopefully that will be your last Cuye.
~Stacey
Someday in the future you'll be at some happy hour downtown and be hit with a strange craving for rodent. You can A) throw out a nostalgic smile, B) order some fries and hope it goes away or C) hit up Pet Co. Either way, I hope I'm there for it.
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