Papa a la Huancaína is a Peruvian salad with boiled potatoes in a spicy, creamy sauce. It is often an appetizer during the holidays from food blogger Adrianna Adarme of the Fresh Tastes blog.
12 ounces queso blanco (alternatively, queso fresco can be used), cubed
1 (5 ounce) can evaporated milk
1 1/2 tablespoons aji amarillo paste
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 saltine crackers
1/4 cup vegetable oil
4-5 leaves butter lettuce
1 hard boiled egg, quartered
2-3 olives, halved
Directions
Over high heat, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Throw in a few pinches of salt and carefully drop in the potatoes; cook until tender when poked with the tines of a fork, about 10 minutes. Remove the potatoes from the water and transfer to a cutting board to cool. When the potatoes are room temperature, peel the potato skins off with a paring knife. Slice the peeled potatoes into 1/4-inch slices and set aside.
To a the jar of a blender, add the cubed queso blanco, evaporated milk, aji amarillo paste, ground turmeric and saltine crackers. Turn the blender on medium, and slowly drizzle in the oil until it reaches the desired consistency. Salt to taste. Note: I added no salt due to the salt content of the cheese I used; this will vary depending on the brand.
To plate the dish, arrange the leaves of lettuce on a large plate. Fan the sliced potatoes atop the lettuce, and pour the sauce over the potatoes. Garnish with eggs and olives.
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