Get a Taste of Peru with Papa a la Huancaína

Over the next few weeks, I'll be sharing some of my favorite Thanksgiving dishes. Most will be twists on dishes you've seen before: stuffing with my favorite fall fruit, brussels sprouts prepared using a new-to-me technique, a cocktail for a crowd, but today I'm bringing you a Peruvian dish that you might not be familiar with. This dish appeared on my Thanksgiving table every single year growing up. My mom, who was born in Peru, treated Thanksgiving as a time to make all of her favorite foods, American and non-American.

This appetizer usually calls for whole aji amarillos, which are incredibly difficult to find in the states. I find that aji amarillo paste is much easier to come across at Latin American markets. If you're unable to find the paste, you can substitute a habanero pepper, though be aware that if you're adverse to spice, start with half of the recommended amounts below and work up according to taste.

This dish is served at room temperature. The thick spicy cheese sauce is poured over the potatoes and the dish is traditionally garnished with olives and a sliced boiled egg. I always cross my fingers there is some sauce leftover because I love to put it on everything!

I remember growing up watching my mom add saltine crackers to the blender and I thought it was the strangest thing in the world--but the crackers act as a thickener for the sauce. I tend to think they're not all that necessary, but I stick with it because my mom knows best.