Mashua with Chicken and Shiitake is an Andean dish built around mashua tubers (Tropaeolum tuberosum), slow-glazed in olive oil, cumin, and shallot for 30+ minutes until tender, then plated with pan-fried chicken thighs and shiitake mushrooms. The standout trait is the patient, low-color cooking method that develops the tuber's subtle, slightly peppery flavor without browning.
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Wash the mashua (don't peel them).
Cook for 5 minutes.
Let cool.
Slice the tubers lengthwise in two.
Dry with kitchen paper.
Peel the shallot, quarter and slice.
Warm a small skillet.
Add a generous amount of olive oil to the pan and glaze the shallot for a few minutes.
Add cumin (crushed seeds preferred).
Add the halved mashua.
Leave for 30+ minutes until just a bit soft.
Turn them occasionally to coat the roots with the flavours of the oil, the shallot and the cumin.
No need to colour them.
Add some extra cumin 5 minutes before serving.
In parallel, fry the chicken thighs and transfer to the oven (60°C or 140°F). Clean and slice the shiitake, add to the pan and fry. Add the chicken, allow to integrate. Add black pepper to taste.
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days; reheat gently in a low oven (120°C/250°F) for 10–15 minutes to avoid drying the chicken.
Mashua has a subtle, slightly peppery flavor with a waxy texture. It's milder than potato and benefits from bold seasonings like cumin. Flavor develops best when cooked gently without hard browning.
The recipe specifies washing without peeling before the initial 5-minute cook; peeling is done after cooling and halving. Cooking unpeeled keeps the tuber intact during the first stage.
The recipe calls for resting chicken thighs in a 60°C (140°F) oven after pan-frying, allowing gentle carryover cooking and integration with the mushrooms.
After 30+ minutes of glazing, mashua should be just soft—tender enough to cut easily but not falling apart. Turn occasionally to coat evenly and check tenderness by piercing with a knife.
Parsnip or celeriac would work structurally, but they lack mashua's peppery note. If substituting, increase cumin slightly and reduce cooking time to 20–25 minutes for similar-sized pieces.
