Seafood Chaufa (Chaufa de Marisco)

A Peruvian-style seafood fried rice featuring scallops, prawns, octopus, mussels, clams, and squid stir-fried with chaufa rice base and finished with a scallop shell garnish. Uses a criollo-style egg omelette rather than scrambled egg, distinguishing it from chifa-restaurant chaufa.

20m Prep

20m Cook

40m Total

1 Servings

chaufa chifa seafood fried-rice marisco peruvian-chinese criollo marisqueria street-food wok arroz-chaufa omelette tortilla

Ingredients

Finish

Sesame oil (A few drops to finish)
Chinese spring onion (cebollita china) (Thinly sliced, for garnish)

Garnish

Wonton wrappers (for decoration) (Deep-fried as boat or triangle shapes) opcional

Main

300 g Chaufa rice base (pre-marinated parboiled rice) (Use prepared chaufa rice base (see recipe 13))

Omelette

2 units Eggs (Beaten)
20 ml Pachic sauce (soy-based chifa seasoning sauce) (For the omelette)
Salt (for omelette)

Seafood

523 g Mixed seafood (scallops, prawns, octopus, mussels, clams, squid) (Well washed and cleaned; scallops removed from shell)

Seafood Marinade

3 g Salt (for seafood marinade)
20 g Lemon juice (Juice of approximately 2 lemons)
White pepper (Freshly ground)

Wok

30 ml Pachic sauce (for stir-frying seafood)
60 ml Pachic sauce (for main wok) (Two 30ml portions)
Baby bell pepper (pimentón bebé) (Julienned)
Five-spice powder or Chinese cinnamon

Steps

1

Marinate the cleaned seafood: combine 523g mixed seafood with 3g salt, 20g lemon juice, and a pinch of freshly ground white pepper. Mix well and let rest for at least 10 minutes, ideally 30 minutes. The lemon juice removes excess moisture and brightens the seafood flavor.

Consejo: Seafood lives in the sea and already has natural salinity — use only half the salt you would for the same weight of land protein. Always add lemon juice when working with seafood, even for other dishes like picante de marisco.

~10 min
2

Make the criollo omelette: beat 2 eggs with 20ml pachic sauce and a pinch of salt. Heat the wok, reduce to low flame, add egg mixture and cook slowly into a thick omelette. Flip carefully (easier when thick). Remove and slice into pieces. Set aside for garnish.

Consejo: A thick beaten omelette is the criollo distinction — chifa-style uses scrambled egg stirred into the rice. A thick omelette is easier to flip in the air; a thin (blended) omelette requires more skill to turn without breaking.

~5 min
3

Heat the wok to near-smoking. Add 30ml pachic and stir-fry the marinated seafood on high heat until it just changes color. Immediately remove the seafood to a clean bowl, reserving all the juices released.

Consejo: Do not overcook the seafood at this stage — it will finish cooking in the wok with the rice. High-quality fresh seafood releases flavorful juices; lower-quality seafood should be pre-cooked 5 minutes in minimal water before use.

~3 min
4

In the same wok, heat to smoking again. Add 60ml pachic (two portions), scraping up all the browned seafood residue stuck to the wok — this is concentrated umami flavor. Add julienned bell pepper and 300g chaufa rice base.

Consejo: Scrape the wok thoroughly — those caramelized seafood residues carry intense flavor. Reduce heat slightly while scraping to avoid burning.

~4 min
5

Stir-fry the rice on high heat until well fried and heated through. Add a pinch of five-spice powder or Chinese cinnamon. Pour the reserved seafood juices over the rice and allow the rice to absorb the liquid before adding the seafood back.

Consejo: Add the seafood juices near the end — adding them too early risks the rice sticking to the wok. Wait until the liquid is mostly absorbed before returning the seafood.

~5 min
6

Add the cooked seafood back into the wok and toss everything together briefly. Turn off the heat. Finish with a few drops of sesame oil, thinly sliced Chinese spring onion, and some of the sliced omelette folded through. Serve immediately with omelette pieces placed on top and reserved scallop shells as garnish.

Consejo: Reserve 2-3 scallop shells to serve the dish in for a striking presentation.

~3 min

Nutrition (por porción)

520

Calorías

42g

Proteína

52g

Carbohidratos

14g

Grasa

Fibra

Cultural Context

Chaufa de marisco is a criollo variation of the classic chaufa, found more in marisquerías (seafood restaurants) than in traditional chifas. The key distinction from chifa-style fried rice is the use of a folded omelette rather than scrambled egg stirred into the rice — this adds visual appeal and keeps the egg flavor distinct. Victor notes that for seafood chaufa, the rice base should never be moistened with chilcano (fish broth) as it will overwhelm the delicate seafood flavors; chicken stock is always preferred.