While there were a few tweaks here and there to make a meal, this little beauty managed to prove a good mid-day meal/snack at short notice. I knew that I needed to use some chorizo in the fridge sooner rather than later, and I remembered trying salchipapas a while back at a Peruvian place (RIP that restaurant, I only just checked recently). It proved itself well, pound-for-pound being one of my biggest winners yet.
My big sister has an air-fryer, and it has done wonders. That is in part of having five little kids to look after, each with varying levels of a finnicky palate. I admit I have been on the fence with investing in one; it is worth it. I used the air fryer to take care of the (frozen) fries, after seasoning them with a mixture of chicken salt (GOATed from Down Under), red pepper flakes, cumin, garlic salt, and oregano.
Before cooking the sausage, I made a call to do a little base consisting of onion, garlic, and jalapeno, followed up closely by a sliced capsicum. Aji Amarillo will be a task to find in New Zealand, so instead I used this big squeeze bottle of chilli sauce that was around. And Greek yoghurt is also a good substitute for crema/sour cream. About the only thing that could have topped this off would be a fried egg or two, inspiration right from that old Peruvian place.
I had the ketchup and mustard right there in the middle of the table, just in case. The dish proved so popular (between me, my big sister, her husband, and one of the nieces taking an occasional nibble), that neither of the aforementioned sauces were used – much less this elusive thing you call left-overs. They are wanting it again, and there is plenty of the fry sauce left in the fridge.
Two-for-two with Peru in the space of a week (lomo saltando is the other culprit). That is not something I would have banked on, and I cook a fair bit till this day.
Loaded fries are one of those things that seems to be the same thing, but when done right does massive wonders. With all the fuss on poutine, I reckon people are sleeping too much on salchipapas.