AARP - Segunda Juventud - Ocopa & Papa a la Huancaína

Ocopa & Papa a la Huancaína
From The Art of Peruvian Cooking by Tony Custer

Courtesy of Tony Custer
August/September 2007

All the proceeds from The Art of Peruvian Cuisine fully fund the Aprendamos Juntos program, which provides remedial support to children with learning difficulties in schools located in the poorest sections of Lima.

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The Inca's 'chasqui,' or messengers, took ocopa, a cloth bag filled with ground peanuts, ají, and herbs, on their travels. Today Ocopa is considered the city of Arequipa's signature dish, along with their famous fresh crayfish.

The delicately spiced, creamy Huacaína sauce, Huancayo's signature dish, is also great as a dip with your favorite crudités.

Ocopa

4	small red onions, sliced
4	cloves of garlic, crushed
1/4	cup vegetable oil
2	sprigs of huacatay, chopped [an Andean herb]
5	ajíes amarillos [spicy yellow peppers]
4	vanilla cookies, broken in pieces
4	oz. (100g) toasted peanuts
8	oz. (200g) fresh white cheese, roughly crumbled
	Evaporated milk (as needed)
6	boiled white potatoes (cold)

To serve:
Lettuce leaves, hard-boiled egg slices

1. Seed, devein, and chop the ají amarillo. Heat the oil in a skillet and sauté onion, garlic, huacatay, ají amarillo, salt, and pepper over medium heat, until well browned, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

2. Mix the cooled mixture with the peanuts, cheese, and vanilla cookies in a blender. With the motor still running, add enough evaporated milk in a steady stream for the sauce to form a slightly thick, even, pouring consistency. Adjust seasonings to taste.

3. Serve at room temperature over the cooked potatoes and decorate with slices of hard-boiled egg and lettuce leaves.

Papa a la Huancaína

Recipes

Try your hand at these delicious recipes:

Papa Rellena

Carapulca

Causa Limeña

1/2 cup chopped red onion

1 tsp. minced garlic

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

5 ajíes amarillos

3-4 saltine crackers

1/2 lb. (¼ kg) fresh white cheese

1 cup evaporated milk

Juice of ½ key lime

Oil

6 boiled white potatoes (cold)

To serve:
Lettuce leaves, cooked corn kernels, hard-boiled egg slices, black olives

1. Seed, devein, and chop the ají amarillo. In a small skillet, heat the 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and, over medium heat, sauté the onion, garlic, and ají amarillo until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Remove onion mixture from the heat and, in a blender or a food processor fitted with a steel blade, blend together with the crackers, white cheese, evaporated milk, and salt, adding just enough vegetable oil to give the mixture a smooth creamy consistency.

2. Add the juice of ½ key lime and blend for a few seconds more. Adjust seasoning to taste, adding more salt if necessary. Let sauce cool to room temperature or chill in the fridge. To serve, pour the sauce over sliced cold boiled potatoes and garnish with boiled egg slices, olives, cooked corn kernels, and lettuce leaves.

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