Papa a la Huancaína (literally, Huancayo style potatoes) is a Peruvian salad of boiled yellow potatoes (similar to the Yukon Gold potatoes) in a spicy, creamy sauce called Huancaína sauce. Although the dish's name is derived from Huancayo, a city in the Peruvian highlands, it has become a staple of everyday and holiday cuisine throughout the country.[1][2]
It is typically served cold as a starter over lettuce leaves and garnished with black olives, white corn kernels and hard boiled egg quarters.
The sauce is made of fresh white cheese (Queso fresco-similar to feta or lumpy farmers cheese), vegetable oil, aji amarillo (yellow Peruvian pepper), evaporated milk and salt mixed in a blender. Some recipes call for garlic, onion and crushed saltines.
In the south of Peru (Cuzco, Puno, Arequipa) it is served with ocopa rather than Huancaína sauce, made from freshly toasted peanuts, fried onions and tomatoes, aji amarillo, cream or condensed milk, crushed crackers or dried bread, salt, and huacatay (Tagetes minuta).
Because it is served cold Papa a la Huancaina is a favorite food of Peruvians to take on picnics and trips.
Ingredients:
8 yellow or white potatoes
Huancaína sauce (see "related recipes")
Lettuce leaves
2 hard-boiled eggs
8 large black olives, halved
Preparation:
Heat a large pot of salted water to boiling and add the potatoes.
Boil potatoes until tender when pierced with a fork.
Drain water from potatoes and let cool.
Slice potatoes and arrange on top of the lettuce leaves.
Pour huancaína sauce over potatoes, and garnish with slices of hard-boiled egg and black olive halves. Serves 4 to 6.
Notes:
1) For a slightly "sweeter" Huanícana sauce, use ricotta cheese instead of queso fresco.
2) For lower carb, substitute cauliflower for the potatoes.