Name: Ocopa arequipeña
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 32 min
Total time: 70 min
Cuisine: Peruvian cuisine
Ingredients: 1000 g yellow or white potatoes, whole, scrubbed; 1800 ml water, for potato boiling; discarded afterward; 700 ml water, for boiling the eggs; discarded afterward; 3 large eggs, boiled until firm; about 150 g without shells; 60 g pitted black olives; 90 g washed lettuce leaves; 30 g dried ají mirasol chillies, stems and seeds removed; 350 ml water, boiled for soaking chillies; drained afterward; 120 g red onion, roughly chopped; 10 g garlic, chopped; 30 ml vegetable oil; 55 g unsalted roasted peanuts; 220 g pasteurized fresh white cheese, crumbled; 150 ml evaporated milk; 35 g plain savoury crackers, crumbled; 18 g fresh huacatay leaves, washed; 3 g fine salt

Ocopa arequipeña: huacatay and peanut sauce over potatoes

Yield 6 servings

Prep 25 minutes

Cook 32 minutes

Passive 13 minutes

Total 70 minutes

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Ocopa arequipeña: huacatay and peanut sauce over potatoes

Ocopa arequipeña is closely associated with the cooking of Arequipa. Unlike a plain cheese sauce, it draws its herbaceous character from huacatay and its body from peanuts, crackers and fresh cheese.

Dried ají mirasol is ripened and dried ají amarillo, carrying a warmer flavour than fresh chillies. Rehydrating it before sautéing prevents dry flecks in the finished cream. Huacatay, an aromatic Andean herb, should remain recognisable.

The sauce needs enough liquid to blend but should not run off the potatoes. Spread it over cooked slices and finish with egg, olives and lettuce, a familiar style of serving this Peruvian starter.

Ingredients

Potatoes and garnish

1000 g yellow or white potatoes, whole, scrubbed
1800 ml water, for potato boiling; discarded afterward
700 ml water, for boiling the eggs; discarded afterward
3 large eggs, boiled until firm; about 150 g without shells
60 g pitted black olives
90 g washed lettuce leaves

Ocopa sauce

30 g dried ají mirasol chillies, stems and seeds removed
350 ml water, boiled for soaking chillies; drained afterward
120 g red onion, roughly chopped
10 g garlic, chopped
30 ml vegetable oil
55 g unsalted roasted peanuts
220 g pasteurized fresh white cheese, crumbled
150 ml evaporated milk
35 g plain savoury crackers, crumbled
18 g fresh huacatay leaves, washed
3 g fine salt

Method

Hydrate the mirasol.Put 30 g deseeded dried ají mirasol in a heatproof bowl; cover with the 350 ml boiling water and soak for 10 minutes, then drain and chop. The chilli flesh bends readily and is no longer leathery.
Cook potatoes and eggs.Simmer the whole potatoes in a saucepan with 1800 ml water for 23 minutes until a knife enters freely; separately boil the eggs in 700 ml water for 10 minutes until firm and hold them under cold running water. The potatoes are tender to the centre and all egg yolks and whites are firm.
Soften the aromatics.Heat 30 ml vegetable oil in a pan over medium heat and cook the 120 g onion and 10 g garlic for 5 minutes; add the hydrated chilli and warm for 2 more minutes. The onion is translucent and the chilli smells aromatic without darkening.
Blend the ocopa.Transfer the sauté to a clean plate and let it cool for 3 minutes; then blend it with 55 g roasted peanuts, cheese, 150 ml evaporated milk, 35 g crackers, huacatay and 3 g salt until smooth. The sauce flows slowly from a spoon and has no visible peanut granules.
Arrange and garnish.Peel and slice the cooked potatoes, lay over the 90 g lettuce, spoon over all the sauce, then distribute the three quartered eggs and 60 g olives among six plates. Each portion has a generous coating of creamy sauce and distinct potato slices.

Practical

Practical guidance

Use roasted unsalted peanuts so the salt can be measured accurately. A blender makes a finer sauce than mashing, but stop and scrape down the jar as needed. If the sauce is very thick, first blend longer rather than adding ingredients not on the list; use all 150 ml milk as measured. The softened ají and cheese should make a creamy spreadable result. The sauce contains dairy and should be refrigerated at 4 °C or colder promptly. Refrigerate sauce and potatoes separately for up to 3–4 days; serve sauce cold and reheat potatoes to 74 °C only if desired.

Control points

The sauce is gritty.Peanuts or crackers were insufficiently blended; process longer and scrape the sides of the jar.
The sauce tastes sharply bitter.The mirasol was scorched; soften it gently without frying the chilli to a dark colour.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size1 of 6 potato portions with ocopa sauce
Calories425 kcal
Carbohydrate46 g
Protein15 g
Fat21 g
Fibre6 g
Sodium620 mg

Allergens and food safety

Contains peanuts, milk, wheat/gluten in typical crackers and egg garnish. Check cracker labels for other declared allergens. Use pasteurized cheese and wash huacatay and lettuce carefully. Cook eggs until set; keep the dairy sauce refrigerated until serving.

Closing

Result: A smooth herb-and-peanut sauce over tender potatoes.
Decisive control: Blend hydrated mirasol, huacatay, peanuts and cheese thoroughly.