Papa a la huancaína

Ingredients

Potatoes

• 1 kgyellow potatoes, papa amarilla if you can get them
• salt

Sauce

• 5ají amarillo, deseeded and deveined
• 400 gqueso fresco
• 200 mlevaporated milk
• 6cream crackers, or 2 slices stale bread
• 1 clovegarlic
• half an onion
• 3 tbspoil
• salt

To serve

• lettuce leaves
• 3hard-boiled eggs, halved
• black botija olives
• boiled corn

Directions

1. Deseed and devein the chillies, and this is where the heat is controlled. Take them out and you keep the fruit and lose the burn. Blanch the chillies in boiling water for 3 minutes, drain, and repeat with fresh water.
2. Fry the onion and garlic in the oil until soft and golden, about 8 minutes, then add the chillies and fry 3 minutes more. Blend the fried mixture with the cheese, evaporated milk and crackers until completely smooth.
3. Blend it for a long time, longer than you think, until there is no grain left at all. The consistency should be thick but pourable, coating a spoon like double cream.
4. Add more evaporated milk if it is too thick, or another cracker if it is too thin. Season with salt and taste, and expect it to be gently hot rather than fiery.
5. Boil the potatoes whole in their skins in salted water until tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cook them in their skins. Peeled and quartered they take on water and end up bland and wet under the sauce.
6. Peel them while still warm and slice them thickly. Lay lettuce leaves on a platter and arrange the warm potato slices over them.
7. Pour the sauce generously over, covering the potatoes completely. The potatoes should be warm and the sauce cool or at room temperature, which is the traditional contrast and part of the appeal. Garnish with halved boiled eggs and black olives.

Technique

• Botija olives are the small purplish-black Peruvian olives and they are worth seeking out.
• The sauce keeps three days in the fridge and thickens, so loosen it with milk.
• Frozen ají amarillo paste is sold in Latin shops and is a good substitute.

Substitutions

• Ají amarillo paste from a jar, using about 4 tablespoons.
• Feta rinsed of some salt, or a mild firm white cheese, for queso fresco.

Variations

• Ocopa, the green version with huacatay and peanuts.
• Served over pasta as tallarines a la huancaína.
• With a little evaporated milk replaced by cream, for a richer sauce.

History

Named for Huancayo; the cheese and aji amarillo sauce is credited to women who fed the crews building the central Andean railway.

Frequently asked questions

What is Papa a la huancaína?

Papa a la huancaína is a salad & side from Peru: boiled potatoes under creamy ají amarillo and cheese sauce. Named for Huancayo; the cheese and aji amarillo sauce is credited to women who fed the crews building the central Andean railway.

How long does Papa a la huancaína take to make?

Papa a la huancaína takes 20 min of preparation and 25 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Papa a la huancaína?

Yes, within limits. Ají amarillo paste from a jar, using about 4 tablespoons. Feta rinsed of some salt, or a mild firm white cheese, for queso fresco.

What is the most important thing to get right in Papa a la huancaína?

Add more evaporated milk if it is too thick, or another cracker if it is too thin. Season with salt and taste, and expect it to be gently hot rather than fiery.