Ocopa
Prep 25 min Total 40 min
Ocopa - kvalifood.com
Ocopa is a Peruvian sauce from Arequipa, made from dried aji mirasol peppers, peanuts, fresh cheese, and huacatay (black mint). It is traditionally served as a composed dish: boiled potato slices on lettuce, covered with the sauce, and garnished with hard-boiled eggs, olives, and cheese.
Makes 8 servings of sauce
Ingredients
Sauce
- 115 g dried aji mirasol peppers (or 3 tbsp aji mirasol paste)
- 2 tbsp aji amarillo paste
- 170 g onion (ca. 1 medium), coarsely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves (ca. 10 g)
- 115 g roasted unsalted peanuts
- 55 g roasted walnuts
- 6 soda crackers (ca. 42 g)
- 120 ml evaporated milk
- 120 ml whole milk
- 115 g queso fresco, diced
- 1 tsp huacatay paste (or a small handful of fresh leaves)
- salt, to taste
To serve
- 450 g yellow potatoes, boiled, sliced into rounds
- lettuce leaves
- 2 hard-boiled eggs, quartered
- 8-10 black olives
- queso fresco, diced, extra
Directions
If using dried aji mirasol: cut open, remove seeds and veins. Boil in water, drain, and repeat with fresh water two more times (three boils total). Set aside.
Roast the onion and garlic in a dry pan over medium heat until lightly charred and softened (8-10 minutes).
Blend the prepared peppers (or paste), roasted onion, garlic, peanuts, walnuts, crackers, both milks, queso fresco, huacatay, and salt until completely smooth. Adjust thickness with more milk.
Arrange lettuce on plates. Layer potato slices, spoon sauce generously over them, and garnish with eggs, olives, and extra cheese.
Notes
- Do not cook the sauce after blending.
- Aji mirasol paste can replace dried peppers (skip boiling step).
- Any plain cracker works for thickening.
- Huacatay paste is available jarred at Latin American stores. Start with 1 tsp.
- Keeps 3-4 days refrigerated. Thin with milk when reheating.
See Also
Crema de Rocoto
Salsa Huancaina
Aji Amarillo Paste
Aji de Huacatay
