Potatoes with Cheese Sauce (Papas a la Huancaína)
A classic Peruvian dish featuring tender sliced potatoes smothered in a creamy, slightly spicy cheese sauce made with queso fresco, ají amarillo paste, and milk. Garnished with olives and lime wedges, this dish makes an excellent appetizer or side.
Ingredients
- •2 pounds medium potatoes such as purple Peruvian or Yukon Gold (about 8)
- •½ teaspoon chopped garlic
- •¼ pound queso fresco or feta, crumbled (scant 1 cup)
- •½ cup whole milk
- •1 tablespoon chopped onion
- •1 tablespoon olive oil
- •1 tablespoon bottled ají amarillo or ají mirasol paste (sometimes labeled "crema")
- •1 serving garnish
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
Cover potatoes with water in a medium pot and season well with salt, then briskly simmer, covered, until just cooked through, about 20 minutes. Drain and cool, then peel.
20 min
- 2.
Meanwhile, mince and mash garlic to a paste with a pinch of salt, then blend with remaining ingredients in a blender until very smooth and thicker than heavy cream (if necessary, thin with milk). Season with salt.
5 min
- 3.
Cut potatoes crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
5 min
- 4.
Spoon some sauce onto 8 small plates, then top with sliced potatoes. Serve remaining sauce on the side.
5 min
- 5.
Concha y Toro Terrunyo Casablanca Valley Sauvignon Blanc '07
