Huancaína (wan-kay-eena) sauce is typically served over cold sliced potatoes in the famous Peruvian dish Papas a la Huancaína. Made with aji amarillo peppers, it is a versatile sauce that goes with many flavors. Serve it as a dipping sauce for bite-size boiled potatoes or raw vegetables. You can adjust the spiciness by using fewer or more yellow chile peppers.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 3-4 yellow aji amarillo chile peppers (frozen is fine), or 1/2 cup jarred aji amarillo paste
- 2 cloves garlic, mashed
- 2 cups white farmer's cheese (queso freso)
- 4 saltine crackers
- 3/4 cup evaporated milk
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
- Remove seeds from yellow chile peppers and chop into 1 inch pieces.
- Sauté onion, garlic, and chile peppers (or paste) in the oil until onion is softened, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Place onion/chile mixture in a food processor or blender. Add evaporated milk and blend.
- Add cheese and crackers and blend until smooth. Sauce should be fairly thick. Thicken sauce with more saltines or thin sauce with milk if necessary.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve at room temperature or chilled.
