Huancaina Sauce Recipes

GRILLED YUCCA WITH HUANCAINA SAUCE

Steps:

• Peel yucca and cut into 4 cylinders; then split in half and remove the root. Place yucca in a large pot. Add enough water to cover yucca and season with salt. Bring to a boil and simmer until fork tender, about 30 minutes.
• Remove from heat and allow to cool. Brush with butter and place on grill. Cook about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove and season with salt.
• Meanwhile, in a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add onion, aji, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and saute until onion becomes translucent. Remove from heat and add to blender. Add cheese and hard-boiled egg and blend. Slowly drizzle in heavy cream and remaining 2 tablespoons oil until sauce consistency. Adjust salt before serving.
• Serve yucca with huancaina sauce, garnished with hard-boiled egg, olives, and cilantro.

POTATOES WITH CHEESE SAUCE (PAPAS A LA HUANCAíNA)

Steps:

• 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.
• What to drink:
• Concha y Toro Terrunyo Casablanca Valley Sauvignon Blanc '07

PAPA A LA HUANCAINA (HUANCAYO-STYLE POTATOES)

Steps:

• Place potatoes into a large pot and cover with salted water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool slightly.
• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook onion until tender, about 10 minutes.
• Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Boil chile peppers until soft, about 5 minutes. Run chiles under cold water to cool until cool enough to handle; remove and discard skins.
• Blend onion, chile peppers, cheese, vegetable oil, garlic, salt, and pepper in a blender until smooth. Stream evaporated milk into the blended mixture while continuing to blend until a creamy sauce is achieved.
• Arrange 1 lettuce leaf onto each of 8 plates. Halve potatoes and arrange 3 halves onto each lettuce leaf. Drizzle creamy sauce over the potatoes. Top each with an egg half and two black olive halves.

HUANCAINA SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat; saute onion, aji peppers, and garlic until onion softens and mixture is bright yellow, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer mixture to a blender; add milk and blend until smooth. Add queso fresco and crackers to mixture and blend until sauce is smooth and the consistency of thick yogurt. Season with salt and pepper.

FRIED YUCCAS (CASSAVA) WITH HUANCAINA SAUCE

Steps:

• Peel and rinse yuccas.
• Cut in 2 or 3 pieces depending on the size.
• Cook yuccas in salted water until soft and tender when pierced with a fork. Drain and cool.
• Cut yuccas in ½ x 2 inches (1.5 x5 cm).
• Heat oil in a skillet and fry yuccas until golden. Season.
• Drain fat in paper towel.
• Yucca sticks can be frozen until ready to use.
• Remove from freezer and place immediately in hot oil until golden and crispy.
• Serve with Huancaína Sauce as an appetizer.
• Huancaína Sauce:.
• Place ají in a blender.
• Pour milk and blend.
• Sauté onion with garlic in oil until cooked.
• Add this mixture to blender together with the cheese.
• While blending add oil until a creamy sauce is obtained.

PAPAS A LA HUANCAINA

Steps:

• For the papas:.
• Assemble lettuce leaves on a nice plate or platter.
• Lay potato slices on top, trying to keep the round discs intact.
• For the salsa Huancaina:.
• In a blender container or food processor, place cheese, garlic, evaporated milk and aji paste, blend until smooth.
• Add 2 yolks of the hard boiled eggs, and a few water crackers.
• While blender is running, drizzle in 1 T of oil.
• Check consistency.
• It should be about the consistency of thin cake batter.
• If it needs more thickening, add more crackers and oil.
• Check seasoning, if you are using feta cheese, it might not need salt, you can also add a bit more aji if you like it spicy.
• To serve, pour sauce over potatoes and lettuce.
• Garnish with remaining 2 hard boiled eggs, cut in wedges and black olives.