Papa a la Huancaína

Mmmmm ... Papa a la Huancaína, just delicious. The dish consists of a thick, yellow, spicy sauce made of aji amarillo, cheese and milk, generally served with potatoes and a great vegetarian appetizer. The main ingredient, ají amarillo, brings a healthy aspect to the dish – ají amarillo helps ease inflammation, aid the digestion and relieve pain.

The word “Huancaína” comes from the town of Huancayo and there are many stories behind the sauce. One is that the region of Junín, where Huancayo is located, has approximately 3,000 varieties of potatoes and the creator of the dish would buy all the ingredients from there. Another is that during the construction of the Central Railway in Peru, the women from the region would serve the dish to the workers, using different types of potatoes, but the sauce was made out of rocoto. When the dish came to Lima, it was changed to ají amarillo instead of rocoto.

The sauce is what makes the dish and you can use it in many different ways. I use it as a dip for crudités when catering an event. It’s also great as a dip for hors d’oeuvres such as yuca balls, corn and cheese mini skewers or empanadas, so simple but so good! At home I also mix it with spaghetti, a different and very delicious twist on a popular dish.

Serves 3–6

Ingredients:
6 white potatoes
4 ají amarillo peppers (fresh, frozen, canned or jarred), seeded, de-veined and soaked in cold water overnight (to reduce the heat of the pepper)
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 small red onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
4 saltine crackers, crushed
2 cups fresh white cheese, crumbled (feta or other)
1 cup fresh milk or evaporated milk
Salt and Pepper to taste
Lettuce leaves as garnish
Hard-boiled egg slices
Botija olives (found at any Latin store) or black olives

Directions:
Wash the potatoes and cook in a pot until done. Once cooked, peel and let cool. Slice and set aside.

Rinse the soaked ají amarillo and chop roughly.

Heat the oil in a medium pan and sauté onion, garlic and ají amarillo until soft about 2 to 3 minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.

Remove from heat and while mixture is still hot, place in a blender and mix for 2 minutes, or until smooth. Add the crackers, cheese and milk and keep blending to form a thick, smooth and creamy sauce. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Divide lettuce leaves between plates, arrange the cold potatoes on the plates, pour the sauce over the potatoes and garnish with hard-boiled eggs and sliced olives. The sauce can be served chilled or at room temperature.