Peruvian Potatoes with Cheese Sauce

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                            FOOD FUNNY
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Here's a cute one from Rosemary Zwick:

We took our children to a restaurant named the Captain's
Table. Our youngest went to the bathroom but soon returned,
confused and embarrassed. "Couldn't you find the way?" I asked him.

"Oh," I found it, he replied, legs crossed. "But I don't know if
I'm a buccaneer or a wench!"

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                            TODAY'S RECIPE
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This dish may be one of the oldest on earth. The Incas had
been eating potatoes for thousands of years before Europeans
had their first taste of them, and accounts of potato cookery
go back to the very first Spanish conquistadores.

Peruvian Potatoes with Cheese Sauce (Papas a la Huancaina)

1/4 (60 ml) cup fresh lemon juice
1 tsp (5 ml) hot pepper flakes (or to taste)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 large onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings
8 medium boiling potatoes
1 cup (250 ml) coarsely crumbled queso blanco, or grated fresh
mozzarella or Muenster cheese
2/3 cup (160 ml) heavy cream
1 tsp (5 ml) turmeric
2 tsp (10 ml) finely chopped, seeded fresh red or green hot chile (or to
taste)
1/3 cup (80 ml) olive oil
4 hard-cooked eggs, cut lengthwise into halves
8 black olives
Bibb or Boston lettuce leaves for garnish

In a large mixing bowl combine the lemon juice, pepper flakes,
salt, and pepper. Add the onion rings, tossing to coat them
evenly with the mixture. Set aside while the potatoes boil.

Boil the potatoes in a large pot of salted water until done, but
not falling apart. Meanwhile, combine the cheese, cream,
turmeric, chopped fresh chili, salt, and pepper in a blender jar.
Blend at high speed until thick and creamy. Heat the olive oil
in a heavy skillet over moderate heat. Pour in the sauce,
reduce the heat to low, and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring
constantly, until the sauce is thickened.

To serve, arrange the potatoes on a heated platter and pour
the sauce over them. Drain the onion rings and strew them
over the potatoes. Decorate the edge of the platter with the
lettuce, eggs, and olives.
Serves 8.
Received on Mon Mar 28 11:38:06 2011