This chupe de camarones recipe is made with Peruvian aji panca chillies, black mint and ricotta; and is a classic filling soup from Arequipa, Peru.

For a quicker method, you can use shelled prawns and fish stock from cubes – although it won’t taste as authentic as the stock will be missing the strong flavour from the prawns.

Serves four

Ingredients:

• 1kg large prawns, whole

• 200ml sunflower oil

• 2 large onions, chopped

• 2 teaspoons achiote paste

• 300ml tomato passata

• 6 tablespoons of aji panca paste

• 12 medium sized potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters

• 2 corn on the cob, chopped into slices around 3-4cm thick

• 120g white rice

• 200g ricotta cheese

• 250ml evaporated milk

• 4 eggs

• 4 cloves of garlic, crushed

• 2 tablespoons huacatay paste

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Small handful of fresh parsley, chopped

Sby-step instructions:

1. Start by making the stock. Set aside one

2. 1kg large prawns, whole

3. 200ml sunflower oil

4. 2 large onions, chopped

5. 2 teaspoons achiote paste

6. 300ml tomato passata

7. 6 tablespoons of aji panca paste

8. 12 medium sized potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters

9. 2 corn on the cob, chopped into slices around 3-4cm thick

10. 120g white rice

11. 200g ricotta cheese

12. 250ml evaporated milk

13. 4 eggs

14. 4 cloves of garlic, crushed

15. 2 tablespoons huacatay paste

16. Salt and pepper to taste

17. Small handful of fresh parsley, chopped

18. whole prawn per person (which will be used to decorate later). Peel the rest of the prawns and remove the heads. Set the bodies aside, as this will be cooked in the soup later.

19. In a large saucepan, bring around 2 litres of water to the boil. Add the prawn peel and heads to the water and leave it to boil, covered, for around 40 minutes. Then use a blender to blend the shells and heads with the water to make the stock. Strain the stock to remove any solid parts and set it to one side.

20. Take another large saucepan, and add half of the oil over a high heat. When hot, add the achiote paste, and fry, stirring, for a couple of minutes until the achiote has infused the oil.

21. Add the onion and garlic, and fry until golden.

22. Add the aji panca and stir through for a minute until the onion and garlic are well-coated.

23. Add the tomato passata and huacatay to the pan, stirring well. Turn the heat down to medium, and add the stock you made earlier and cook for another five minutes, stirring regularly. Use a ladle to remove any foam which is forming on the top of the stock.

24. Add the rice and simmer for another 15 minutes.

25. Add the potatoes and corn, and simmer. Give the soup a taste, and add salt and pepper to season. Keep stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are cooked through.

26. Then add the evaporated milk along with the prawns themselves. They won’t take very long to cook, so don’t overdo it – simply simmer over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes until they’ve turned pink.

27. Whilst they’re cooking, use the remaining oil you need and fry one egg per person in a separate frying pan.

28. Take a soup plate for each person. To serve, start by placing the potatoes and corn in the dish. Then add one sixth of the ricotta to each dish. Pour the soup over, then add a fried egg and the prawns. Sprinkle with a little chopped parsley to garnish and voila!