Fresh-Ají Huancaína with Jammy Eggs and Olive Crumb

Method

1. Scrub the potatoes and put them, skins on, in a 18 cm pot. Cover with cold water by 2 cm and add the salt. Bring to the boil on high heat, lower to medium heat and simmer for 18 min, until a knife slides in easily. Drain, return to the empty pot and leave for 3 minutes so the steam escapes; dry potatoes don't water down the sauce.

   Add in this stepSmall waxy potatoes (yellow, ideally mixed with purple) 500 gSalt (for the cooking water) 1½ tsp

   high heat→medium heat

2. Bring a second pot of water to a rolling boil on high heat. Lower the eggs straight from the fridge in with a ladle and boil for exactly 6 min 30 sec, then plunge them into iced water for 5 minutes for soft, jammy yolks.

   Add in this stepEggs 2

   high heat

3. Wearing gloves, halve the ají amarillo and scrape out all the seeds and white veins. Drop them into boiling water on high heat for 2 min, drain, and repeat twice more with fresh water. Three blanchings remove the harsh heat and bitterness and leave the fruity flavour.

   Add in this stepFresh ají amarillo chillies (or, per chilli, half a yellow bell pepper plus a little hot chilli) 3

   high heat

4. Heat part of the oil in a small pan on medium-low heat and gently cook the roughly chopped onion, garlic and blanched chillies for 5 min, until soft but not coloured.

   Add in this stepVegetable oil 1 tbspOnion 25 gGarlic cloves 1

   medium-low heat

5. Put them in a blender with the cheese, evaporated milk, crackers, lime juice and salt. Blend for 1 min 30 sec, pouring in the rest of the oil in a thin stream while the motor runs so the sauce emulsifies. Push it through a fine sieve for a silky finish. Taste, and adjust the thickness with milk.

   Add in this stepQueso fresco (or mild feta, rinsed) 110 gEvaporated milk 80 mlSaltine crackers 2Lime juice 1 tspSalt 1 pinchVegetable oil 1½ tbsp

6. Chop the olives finely and squeeze them dry in kitchen paper. Melt the butter in a dry pan, add the panko and olives and stir on medium-low heat for 3 min, until crisp and toasty. Off the heat, stir in the parsley and spread on paper to cool.

   Add in this stepPitted black olives 6Panko breadcrumbs 2 tbspButter 10 gFlat-leaf parsley, chopped 1 tbsp

   medium-low heat

7. Peel the warm potatoes and cut them into thick halves. Swoosh the sauce across each plate with the back of a spoon, set the potatoes on top and finish with the halved jammy eggs and a scattering of olive crumb.