Caldo de cabeza de carnero is a clear, restorative Andean soup in which lamb is simmered for hours until the broth turns rich and gelatinous. Yellow potatoes, a dried ají mirasol pepper and a generous handful of fresh mint finish it. This version uses bone-in lamb, which is easier to find than a whole sheep's head and gives a similar broth.
Ingredients
Instructions
Rinse the lamb and put it in a large pot with the water. Bring to a boil over high heat and skim off the foam that rises to the surface during the first 10 minutes. Add the garlic and a teaspoon of salt, lower the heat to a gentle simmer, partly cover and cook for 1½ hours, skimming occasionally, until the meat is very tender and easily comes away from the bone.
Add the potatoes and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until a knife slides into them without resistance. Add the dried peppers (or the paste) for the last 10 minutes of cooking, so they soften and flavor the broth without turning bitter.
Remove the peppers, chop them finely and return them to the pot if a stronger chili flavor is wanted. Lift out the lamb, pull the meat from the bones and return it to the pot, discarding the bones. Taste and adjust the salt.
Ladle into warm bowls, giving each a few pieces of lamb and potato. Sprinkle generously with the mint and serve at once.
Nutrition300 estimated calories per serving
Notes
Neck slices and shanks give the broth the body that a sheep's head traditionally provides, since their bones and connective tissue turn gelatinous as they cook.
If the broth looks fatty, chill it for an hour and lift off the solid fat before reheating.
Dried ají mirasol is sold at Latin American markets and online. Ají amarillo paste is a good stand-in. Dried guajillo chiles also work, but give a fruitier, less sharp flavor.
For the traditional version, ask a halal or Latin American butcher for a lamb or sheep's head, ideally split and cleaned. Boil it for at least 1½ to 2 hours, then add the potatoes and peppers as described above.
Variations
Heartier: add carrots, corn on the cob cut into rounds, or yuca with the potatoes.
Fresher: stir in chopped cilantro with the mint.
Bright: serve with lime wedges so each diner can add a squeeze.
Authentic herb: use paico (epazote-like Andean herb), if available at a specialty market, in place of part of the mint.
Source
Caldo de cabeza de carnero comes from the Andean highlands of Peru, with versions in some coastal areas. It is eaten as a nourishing soup, especially on cold mornings. Cooks boil the head for at least two hours with potatoes, onions or garlic and salt, and often add ají peppers, mint, cilantro or the Andean herb paico. In traditional market stalls the cheek, jaw, tongue and ear are the prized pieces.