A cuisine that has literally taken the world by storm in recent years, owes everything to its rich history of the classic recipe. Inhabitants from Spain, Africa, China, Japan, and Italy, among others, have ensured local ingredients native to Peru, like the three thousand varieties of potatoes, hundreds of varieties of quinoa, hot, yet flavor-some peppers mixed with techniques and ingredients brought in by the immigrants, lend the food the unique and multicultural character it enjoys today. When we think of Peruvian classic dishes, the first thing that comes to our mind is Ceviche (a seafood dish). Our dish in focus today is Papa a la Huancaína that is a perfect combination of many of the country’s usual culinary suspects.
Originating from the Huancayo area of Peru, papa a la Huancaína is a unique salad dish consisting of a spicy, creamy, and rich cheese sauce that is drizzled over boiled yellow or white potatoes. The sauce consists of aji Amarillo chilis (yellow chili pepper), oil, milk, cheese, salt, and crackers that act as a thickener. It can be served either cold or at room temperature, as a flavorful side dish or an appetizer. Considering it can be made with mostly kitchen essentials, try out the following classic recipe. Thank us later, or just send a bottle of Pisco our way!
Ingredients For Papa A La Huancaina :
500 gms potatoes
150 gms fresh cheese
4 large leaves of iceberg lettuce
3 fresh ají Amarillo or chili peppers chopped
3 cloves peeled garlic
1 egg boiled
4 olives black
1 Teaspoon olive oil
1 Teaspoon milk
Salt to taste
A tablespoon of breadcrumbs or 2-3 salty crackers optional
Method For Papa A La Huancaina :
• Cover the potatoes with salted water, boil until soft and remove from the pan to cool. Remove the veins and seeds from the peppers.
• Lightly fry them with the whole cloves of garlic in a little bit of oil.
• Put the peppers, garlic, cheese, and salt in 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.
• 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.
If you are a vegetarian, you may want to check out our story on Discovering Vegetarian Food in The Land of the Incas
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