Pan Seared Chicken Breast, Maposteao Tacu-Tacu, Peruvian Salsa Criolla, Pink Beans Emulsion
Yield: 2 portions
For the Chicken
Ingredients:
1 oz Vegetable oil
2 ea Chicken breast
To taste, Salt & Pepper
Procedure:
In a pan, sear the chicken breasts until golden brown.
Finish in the oven at 350°F until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Keep warm for service.
For the Tacu-Tacu
Ingredients:
2 fl oz Vegetable oil
0.5 oz Onion
2 Garlic cloves, Minced
1.5 oz Ají amarillo (Peruvian yellow chili)
7 oz Cooked beans (half blended, half whole)
7 oz Cooked rice, from the day before
To taste, Salt
To taste, Black pepper
To taste, Oregano
Procedure:
Heat oil over medium heat.
Sauté onion, garlic, and ají amarillo.
Add beans and rice; cook until the mixture becomes thick and pasty.
Cool quickly until firm.
Shape into discs about 4 inches wide and ½ inch thick.
Sear both sides in a hot pan until golden and crispy.
Keep warm for service.
For the Stewed Bean Broth Emulsion
Ingredients:
6 oz. Stewed Beans
2 oz. Olice Oil
Procedure:
Separate the beans from the broth.
Use only the liquid from the stewed beans.
Blend the liquid until smooth to create a rich, velvety sauce.
To improve consistency, you may incorporate a few beans into the blend for extra body and flavor.
For the Salsa Criolla
Ingredients:
2 oz Red onion, finely julienned
0.5 oz Ají amarillo, finely sliced
0.25 oz Cilantro, chopped
1 oz Lime juice
To taste, Salt
Plating Components:
3 oz Stewed Bean Broth Emulsion
4 oz Tacu-Tacu
5 oz Chicken Breast
2 oz. Salsa Criolla
Plating Steps:
Spread the bean emulsion on the plate as a base.
Place the Tacu-Tacu in the center.
Set the chicken breast on top of the Tacu-Tacu.
Garnish with peruvian Salsa Criolla
Short Story: The Inspiration Behind the Dish
In Puerto Rico, arroz mampostea’o is a beloved comfort food — a mix of leftover rice and beans cooked together until creamy and flavorful. The word mampostea’o comes from mampostear, a term used by masons to describe the act of layering and compacting cement. The texture of the dish, thick and cohesive, resembles that of freshly mixed mortar.
My vision was to reinterpret this traditional Puerto Rican recipe through a Peruvian perspective, giving it the texture and crust of a classic Tacu-Tacu. Both dishes share the same roots — rice and beans as a symbol of sustenance and culture — but the Peruvian version traditionally incorporates ají amarillo, a native chili that brings color and subtle heat. In this creation, I preserve that essential element while honoring the spirit of Puerto Rican mamposteado, merging two Latin flavors that speak the same culinary language.