Papa a La Huancaína
This dish is an unmissable classic of Peruvian cuisine that is a perfect combination of many of Peru’s usual culinary suspects: ají amarillo (the yellow Peruvian chili pepper), potatoes, garlic and fresh cheese.
- Prep time
- 30 min
- Cook time
- 30 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 17 ounces floury potatoes
- 5 ounces queso fresco ((fresh cheese))
- 4 large leaves iceberg lettuce
- 3 fresh ají amarillo chili peppers (chopped)
- 3 cloves peeled garlic
- 1 egg (boiled)
- 4 olives (black)
- 1 Teaspoon olive oil
- 1 Teaspoon milk
- Salt to taste
- 2-3 salty crackers or saltine crackers (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Cover the potatoes with salted water, boil until soft and remove from the pan to cool. You can peel the potatoes or leave the skin on.
- 2
Remove the veins (ribs) and seeds from the peppers. Lightly fry them with the whole cloves of garlic in a little bit of oil.
- 3
Put the peppers, garlic, cheese and salt in the batán or your blender and grind/blend until smooth. If you are using a blender it might be necessary to add some breadcrumbs or crushed salty crackers to achieve the correct consistency, or on the contrary, add some more milk if it is too thick.
- 4
Slice the boiled potatoes once they have cooled sufficiently, using 2 potatoes per serving. Place on a large single lettuce leaf. Pour a generous portion of sauce over the potatoes and lettuce and decorate with a few slices of boiled egg, and 1 or 2 olives.
- 5
Enjoy the result and wait for the compliments from your diners to come pouring in!