Cau Cau péruvien

Clean and boil the tripe

Rinse the tripe well under cold water and trim off any excess fat. Cut it into large pieces and put it in a big pot with the water, bay leaf, vinegar and salt. Bring to a boil, skim off the grey foam that rises, then lower the heat and simmer partly covered for 1.5–2 hours. This long, gentle simmer is what turns tripe from rubbery to tender, so don't rush it. Reserve 500 ml of the broth, drain the rest, and cut the tripe into bite-size strips or cubes.

• 1 kg tripe
• 2 litres water
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tbsp vinegar
• 1 tsp salt

✅ C'est prêt quand : a piece of tripe can be pierced easily with a fork and has lost its rubbery bite

Build the yellow sofrito

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat and cook the onion for about 5 minutes until soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic, ají amarillo paste, turmeric and cumin, and cook for 2–3 minutes more, stirring, until fragrant and the oil turns a deep, bright yellow. This base is what gives cau cau its signature color, so let it cook properly rather than rushing to the next step.

• 3 tbsp oil
• 1 large onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• 3 tbsp ají amarillo paste
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp cumin

✅ C'est prêt quand : the onion is soft, the raw paste smell is gone, and the oil looks bright golden-yellow

Add tripe and broth

Add the cut tripe to the pot and stir well so every piece gets coated in the yellow sofrito. Pour in the reserved broth, bring to a gentle simmer, and cook for 10 minutes so the flavors come together.

• 1 kg tripe (cooked, from step 1)
• 500 ml reserved broth

✅ C'est prêt quand : the broth looks bright yellow and the tripe pieces are fully coated

Add the potatoes

Add the potato cubes, making sure they are mostly covered by the liquid (add a splash of water if needed). Season with a little salt and simmer uncovered for 15–18 minutes, stirring gently now and then so the potatoes don't break apart.

• 800 g potatoes
• to taste salt

✅ C'est prêt quand : the potatoes are easily pierced with a knife but still hold their shape, and the sauce has thickened slightly from the released starch

Add the peas

Stir in the peas and cook for about 5 minutes until bright green and tender. Taste the broth and adjust salt and pepper.

• 150 g peas
• to taste salt and pepper

✅ C'est prêt quand : the peas are tender and the sauce coats the back of a spoon

Finish with mint

Take the pot off the heat and stir in the chopped mint right away, not before — mint added too early turns dull and bitter, while added at the end it stays fresh and fragrant. Serve the cau cau hot, ladled over white rice.

• 4 tbsp mint
• to serve white rice