Papa a la Huancaina
Our Papa a la Huancaina recipe is an authentic taste of Peru that you can make at home. Boiled potatoes are topped with a spicy cheese sauce and garnished with olives and boiled eggs. If you're looking for a hearty and flavorful meal, this is the dish you've been waiting for. Impress your friends and family with this traditional Peruvian recipe that is sure to please every palate.
**Ingredients:**
For the Sauce (Huancaina Sauce):
- 1 1/2 cups fresh white cheese (queso fresco), crumbled
- 2-3 yellow chili peppers (aji amarillo), deseeded and deveined (you can use aji amarillo paste as a substitute)
- 2-3 soda crackers
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- Salt, to taste
- Black olives, hard-boiled eggs, and lettuce leaves for garnish
For the Potatoes:
- 4 large Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes, peeled and boiled
- Lettuce leaves, for serving
**Instructions:**
**Making the Huancaina Sauce:**
1. In a blender or food processor, combine the crumbled fresh cheese, yellow chili peppers, soda crackers, minced garlic, and vegetable oil. Blend until you have a smooth, creamy sauce.
2. Gradually add the evaporated milk while blending to achieve the desired consistency. The sauce should be creamy but not too thin. Adjust with more or less milk as needed.
3. Season the sauce with salt to taste. The sauce should have a subtle kick from the aji amarillo, but you can adjust the spiciness to your liking by adding more or fewer chili peppers.
**Assembling Papa a la Huancaina:**
1. Slice the boiled potatoes into rounds and arrange them on a serving plate or individual plates lined with lettuce leaves.
2. Pour the Huancaina sauce generously over the potatoes.
3. Garnish with black olives and hard-boiled egg slices.
4. Serve Papa a la Huancaina as an appetizer or side dish.
Papa a la Huancaina is a delightful and flavorful Peruvian dish, and it's a perfect representation of the fusion of indigenous and Spanish influences in Peruvian cuisine. Enjoy this creamy and slightly spicy potato dish!