Potatoes with Cheese Sauce (Papas a la Huancaína): 2000s Recipes + Menus : gourmet.com

2000s Recipes + Menus

Serves8 (first course or side dish)

Active time:15 min
Start to finish:45 min

May 2009

Potatoes are a cornerstone of the Peruvian diet, and for good reason: They have been cultivated in the Andes for more than 8,000 years, and the country boasts a whopping 3,000 varieties of the tuber, which comes in a myriad of shapes, colors, and sizes. In the regional capital of Huancayo, creamy, gently spiced cheese sauce is usually poured over the potatoes or served as a dip. To really highlight the potatoes (purple-fleshed ones look especially dramatic), we serve them over the sauce, with accompaniments of lime and meaty olives.

View more of our favorite recipes from this issue.

2 lb medium potatoes such as purple Peruvian or Yukon Gold (about 8)
1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/4 lb queso fresco or feta, crumbled (scant 1 cup)
1/2 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon chopped onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon bottled ají amarillo or ají mirasol paste (sometimes labeled “crema”)

Garnish:

chopped pitted black Peruvian or Kalamata olives; lime wedges (preferably Key lime)

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.
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.
Cut potatoes crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
Spoon some sauce onto 8 small plates, then top with sliced potatoes. Serve remaining sauce on the side.

Cooks’ notes:

Potatoes and sauce can be prepared 1 day ahead and chilled separately. Bring to room temperature before serving (sauce will be very thick; stir and thin with additional milk if desired).
We’ve also got a web-exclusive recipe using the leftover ají amarillo or ají mirasol paste.

Recipe by Lillian Chou

Photograph by Marcus Nilsson

Keywords: latino,; dairy,; potatoes,; vegetarian,; gourmet entertains

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