Tequeños de Queso con Crema a la Huancaína
(teh-KEH-nyos deh KEH-soh kohn KREH-mah ah lah wahn-kah-EE-nah)
El Lonche (The Evening Bridge)
The tequeño is a beautiful, unapologetic accident of Peruvian history—a Venezuelan snack adopted by Chinese-Peruvian immigrants and stuffed with Andean cheese. If there is a smell that universally triggers the memory of an after-school lonche, it is the sizzle of wonton wrappers hitting hot oil and the earthy, sweet aroma of ají amarillo toasting in a pan. Recreating this in an American suburb does not require a specialty grocer, just the patience to learn the ultimate family secret: never rush the Huancaína sauce. Cooking down the chili paste and onions until they surrender their sweetness is the difference between a passable dip and the one your grandmother made.
Before you start
Cut the cheese to fit the wrappers.
Slice the cheese block into batons slightly shorter than the width of your wonton wrappers, roughly 2 1/2 inches long and 1/2 inch thick, ensuring you have enough empty wrapper on either side to crimp and seal the edges tightly.
Ingredients
- neutral oil2 tbsp
- red onion1/2 med
- garlic2 large cloves
- ají amarillo paste3 tbsp
- yellow bell pepper1/4 med
- evaporated milk1 cup
- feta cheese6 oz
- saltine crackers5 med
- wonton wrappers1 small package
- Monterey Jack cheese12 oz
- large egg1 large
- vegetable oil2 cup
Method
- 01
Sauté the aromatics to build the base of the sauce.
Place a skillet over medium-low heat with the neutral oil, then add the red onion and garlic. Cook slowly for 5 to 7 minutes until the onions are soft, translucent, and stripped of their sharp bite—do not let them brown.
- 02
Toast the ají amarillo paste and bell pepper.
Stir in the chili paste and chopped yellow bell pepper, cooking for another 3 to 4 minutes until the oil turns a brilliant sunset orange. This step caramelizes the natural sugars and cooks out the raw taste of the chili paste, so remove from heat once fragrant and let cool slightly.
- 03
Emulsify the Huancaína sauce.
Transfer the warm onion and chili mixture, including all the golden oil from the pan, to a blender along with the feta cheese and evaporated milk. Blend on high until completely smooth.
- 04
Thicken the sauce with saltines.
While the blender is running, drop in the saltine crackers one by one until the sauce reaches the consistency of heavy cream. Taste for salt—the feta is naturally salty, so you likely will not need much—then transfer to a bowl and chill in the refrigerator.
- 05
Prepare your rolling station.
Lay out your cheese batons, a small bowl with the beaten egg, and a stack of wonton wrappers covered with a damp paper towel to prevent them from drying out.
- 06
Roll and seal the tequeños.
Place one wrapper in front of you, dip your finger in the beaten egg, and trace the entire outer edge. Place a cheese baton near the bottom, roll it up tightly, and pinch the left and right sides firmly together to seal it like a piece of candy so the cheese cannot escape into the hot oil.
- 07
Fry the tequeños until blistered and golden.
Heat about half an inch of vegetable oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat until it reaches 350°F. Working in batches so you do not crowd the pan, fry the tequeños for 1 to 2 minutes per side, then drain on paper towels and serve immediately with the chilled sauce.
Notes
Avoid American supermarket queso fresco.
The Mexican queso fresco found in US supermarkets will not melt properly inside the wrapper. Using a high-temperature melting cheese like Monterey Jack or Gouda perfectly replicates the texture of authentic Peruvian Andean cheese.
Repurpose your leftovers.
In modern Lima, the tequeño is the perfect vessel for leftover stews. If you make Lomo Saltado or Ají de Gallina during the week, chop up the leftovers and use them as filling alongside the cheese.
From Cook Peruvian in America.