Papa a la Huancaína

Ingredients

• 800 g yellow-fleshed potatoes, scrubbed
• 5 fresh ají amarillo chillies, or 4 tbsp ají amarillo paste
• 1/2 red onion, roughly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil
• 250 g queso fresco, crumbled
• 200 ml evaporated milk
• 8 soda crackers
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 eggs, for boiling
• 12 black botija olives
• 6 crisp lettuce leaves

Before you cook

• Halve the ají amarillo lengthways and scrape out every seed and pale vein with a teaspoon.
• Roughly chop the half red onion and peel the two garlic cloves.
• Crumble the queso fresco into a bowl and measure out the evaporated milk.
• Wash the lettuce leaves and dry them well.
• Wear gloves if your skin is sensitive to chilli.

Steps

1. Put the potatoes in a large pan, cover them with cold salted water and bring the pan to the boil.
2. Simmer the potatoes for 20 to 25 minutes, until a knife slides into the centre with no resistance.
3. Drain the potatoes and leave them on a plate to cool to room temperature.
4. Boil the three eggs in a small pan for 9 minutes, then cool them under cold running water.
5. Heat 4 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
6. Fry the ají amarillo, onion and garlic for 8 minutes, until softened and lightly browned at the edges.
7. Tip everything from the pan into a blender, oil included.
8. Add the crumbled cheese, evaporated milk, soda crackers and salt to the blender.
9. Blend on high for a full minute, until the sauce is glossy and completely smooth with no flecks of cracker.
10. Check the texture, which should coat a spoon thickly, and loosen it with a splash more evaporated milk if it is stiff.
11. Peel the cooled potatoes and cut them into slices about one centimetre thick.
12. Line a serving platter with the lettuce leaves and lay the potato slices over them.
13. Pour the sauce generously over the potatoes so that no white shows through.
14. Peel the boiled eggs and cut each one into quarters.
15. Finish the platter with the egg quarters and the black olives, then serve cool.