Peruvian Cuisine: Potatoes Huancaina Style (Papas a La Huancaina)
The second dish which Erika shared with us is called Potatoes Huancaina Style (Papas a La Huancaina). It has a few similar ingredients as in the Chicken in Aji Sauce recipe. You can kill two birds with one stone for these dishes, i.e. prepare 2 dishes with common ingredients which helps to reduce preparation time.
The Potatoes Huancaina Style is relatively salty because we use feta cheese. You can reduce the saltiness by using a mixture of ricotta or cottage cheese with feta cheese.
Ingredients
- 2 to 5 aji amarillo fresco or fresh yellow aji peppers
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 3/4 cups (400g) farmers cheese (ricotta, cottage, or feta)
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 hardboiled eggs
- 4 Spanish olives, pitted and cut in halves or quarters
- 2.2 lbs (1 kg) yellow flesh potatoes, boiled, peeled and sliced (use white potatoes if not available)
- lettuce for plating
- salt and pepper to taste
For this recipe, Erika used the Aji peppers in whole in a jar. Under normal circumstances, canned peppers tend to be hotter than fresh ones. Erika shared with us tips on how to reduce the heat of the peppers, especially if you are serving the dish for children. For those who cant find the aji peppers, you can replace it with sweet yellow peppers.
Instructions
 Kitchen gloves is highly recommended for this task. Remove the seeds and veins from the aji peppers and wash well with water rubbing one against the other. |
 Boil the jarred aji peppers in sweetened water for a few minutes (i.e. water with added sugar) to reduce the heat of the peppers. |
 Remove the skin and cut into smaller pieces. |
 In a medium skillet, stir fry the aji, whole garlic cloves with some oil until they are tender. Remove the garlic cloves. |
 Place the aji mixture in a blender. Crumble the feta cheese and add to the mixture. |
 Add some oil and blend the mixture until smooth. |
 You can add some milk if you do not want to use so much oil. If the mixture becomes too liquidy, you can add some crakers to thicken it. |
 To serve, arrange the sliced potatoes on a bed of lettuce on a platter. Pour the sauce over the potatoes. Garnish with sliced hardboiled eggs and olives. |
