When offered a chance to learn to cook Papa a la Huancaina, the most famous Peruvian potato dish, I saluted. Yes, ma’am. Reporting for duty!
Peru = potatoes = perfect in my book.
Peruvian native Carmen Gonzales led the class, entirely in Spanish, which turned out to be less of a challenge than expected. Even those of us who don’t speak Spanish were able to follow directions, given the context of the kitchen.
[1]It turns out not only is Papa a la Huancaina relatively easy, it is quite delicious, and would make a wonderful lunch meal or side dish for dinner.
[2]You start with aji amarillo (fresh yellow Peruvian chile peppers), and queso fresco (fresh cheese).
Boil and peel some potatoes…
[3]Remove seeds and veins from the peppers…
[4]Saute the peppers and some garlic in a skillet…
[5]Whirl the peppers and garlic with cheese in a blender…
[6]Slice cooked potatoes onto a plate…
[7]Spoon over cheesy chile sauce and decorate with egg and olive slices…
[8]And enjoy, along with teacher Carmen Gonzales (above)!
Get the full recipe in my column today [9] over at Malibu Patch!