Food Review: Peruvian pork feast packs a punch

If Omicron were a Christmas character, we’d call it Scrooge. There we were, getting used to our freedoms, enjoying local pubs and restaurants, then – BOOM – along came Omicron, elbows out, fingers wagging, jaw jutting right into our noses.

As if hospitality hasn’t been hit hard enough by Brexit-induced staff shortages, rising energy costs, the supply chain crisis, Brexit-induced red tape (a theme is already emerging) and rock bottom consumer confidence after a once-in-a-century global pandemic caused by a bat snogging a pangolin.

And so we have news. Yes, we’ve been out and about pre-full-on advice to lock yourself in a cupboard while wearing a gasmask and not coming out even if you hear Santa thumping on the roof.

We have visited the best restaurants – and some that assuredly weren’t that – in recent weeks and will be dishing the dirt, as well as lavishing praise, in the weeks ahead.

We have also turned to our trusted friends at Dishpatch – love that name – to deliver an Omicron-free bounty to the doorstep. No Downing Street workers were injured in the making of this dinner, we did not socially-undistance, we did not pass Go and we did not collect £200. A suckling pig from Peru, however, may have been harmed. I thank you.

The suckling pig feast is courtesy of LIMA, a restaurant that ships food via Dishpatch and has been bringing the vibrant flavours of Peru to London since 2012.

LIMA was the first Peruvian restaurant in Europe to be awarded a Michelin star. Founded by Gabriel Gonzalez and his brother Jose Luiz, LIMA’s menus are naturally full of flavour and colour, celebrating the best of Peru’s world-renowned Andean delicacies, fresh ceviches, healthy superfoods and Nikkei flavours.

Located in the heart of London’s West End, both LIMA London and Floral by LIMA showcase the country’s diverse, innovative cuisine, with an emphasis on Peru’s native ingredients combined with the finest British produce.

So far so funky.

Lima’s latest menu centres around a main of pulled suckling pig with choclo (Peruvian corn) purée and chalaca – a salsa-like relish, usually served with mussels, made with red onion, coriander, lime juice and white choclo.

We started by snacking on the restaurant’s popular puff pastry empanadas, filled with seven hour slow-cooked beef and served with a lightly-spiced mayonnaise for dunking.

Next, head chef Adrian Sanchez supplied a beetroot and guava salad with warming anise, ginger, aji panca (a mild Peruvian chilli) and lime and tops it with choclo crisps.

We, however, failed to read the instructions correctly and so served a brilliant starter of both salad and empanadas. Chef Sanchez might not have approved, but we have to say it was excellent.

For the main event, Adrian confits suckling pig overnight until meltingly tender. The meat is then deboned, shredded and layered in a terrine topped with the skin, before being cooked again to achieve a crisp, crackling-like topping.

Sanchez uses a Peruvian fermented corn drink known as chicha di jora to deglaze the pan, along with beef stock and soy sauce, to create a rich, umami sauce.

This is beautifully contrasted by the sweet choclo purée, and fresh, zesty chalaca.

Frankly, we could have died and gone to pig heaven. The crackling on the pork was unctuous. Wafer-thin and perfectly snappy, it was gone in two mouthfuls.

The pork was also to die for. Brilliantly seasoned and soft to touch, it was utterly, utterly delicious. The umami-rich demi-glace was wonderment on the plate.

Dinner in a box just got better. Who knew what the nice DPD man had brought?

Rounding out the meal, Adrian’s take on French toast is served with a creamy chocolate mousse, scattered with desiccated coconut – “I love combining the warm brioche with the cold chocolate mousse so it melts slightly,” says Adrian.

And so do we.

The desiccated coconut made it. Taking the edge off the warm brioche and making sure the dish wasn’t too rich, it toned things down, rather like a wine waiter who knows when to stop pouring.

The portion sizes were spot on and we felt pleasingly full without being over-the-top stop-us-before-we-explode corpulent. As has happened more than once with these new fangled box dinners.

The beauty of box dinners when they hit the streets last spring – we think Carter’s of Moseley were probably the first, and look what they spawned – was that it provided a lifeline for hard-hit restaurateurs.

Those unable to get a full house on a Friday or a Saturday could put a bacon sandwich in a box and help to pay the electricity bill. Which is what more than one Johnny-come-lately has done.

Inevitably, things have moved on apace and while the box dinners have become an important part of a restaurant’s revenue stream, they’re also fast becoming part of our dining culture.

Eating at home has never been so much fun – fine, a Tesco finest is all well and good, but it scores a two-out-of-ten compared to the stuff from Lima.

The ability of foodies to eat around the world and sample the best of the UK’s restaurants without leaving home has been a boon for home diners.

We can look forward to them tapering off as Omicron passes and when spring returns. For now, however, they remain great fun.

In Lima’s case, the box is perfectly conceived with brilliant flavours and textures working in sweet, sweet harmony.

A generous serving for two was just about right – we could happily have skipped dessert – and it provided a fabulous insight into the best of South American cuisine.

Details

Peruvian Suckling Pig Feast

LIMA

Via Dishpatch

www.dishpatch.co.uk