Papa a la Huancaina (Huancayo-Style Potatoes)

Ingredients

• 12 Yukon Gold potatoes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, or to taste
• 1 onion, sliced
• 6 chile peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded
• 1 pound cream cheese, softened
• 1 pound queso fresco (Mexican fresh cheese), crumbled
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup evaporated milk
• 4 hard-boiled eggs, halved lengthwise
• 8 leaves lettuce
• 8 black olives, pitted and halved

Directions

Place potatoes into a large pot and cover with salted water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool slightly.

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook onion until tender, about 10 minutes.

Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Boil chile peppers until soft, about 5 minutes. Run chiles under cold water to cool until cool enough to handle; remove and discard skins.

Blend onion, chile peppers, cheese, vegetable oil, garlic, salt, and pepper in a blender until smooth. Stream evaporated milk into the blended mixture while continuing to blend until a creamy sauce is achieved.

Arrange 1 lettuce leaf onto each of 8 plates. Halve potatoes and arrange 3 halves onto each lettuce leaf. Drizzle creamy sauce over the potatoes. Top each with an egg half and two black olive halves.