Peruvian Causa Rellena
Let’s showcase the humble potato with this cold dish that is a soul satisfying starter, lunch, or snack. From the Quechuan word “kausaq” = “to give life”, spicy mashed potatoes are layered with either cooked chicken, avocado, tuna, shrimp, mayo or no mayo, hard boiled eggs, olives, or any combination thereof.
In this recipe I am using a tall ring mold with shrimp, avocado, and egg salad, but a deep glass vessel also works well to serve lasagna-style.
Ingredients
- 1 kilo or 2 lbs of peeled potatoes
- 1 or 2 yellow Peruvian aji peppers, to taste
- 4 tablespoons of lime juice, divided
- 6 tablespoons of olive oil, divided
- Salt and pepper
- Cooked and shredded chicken, cooked shrimp, or cooked or canned tuna
- Thin slices of avocado
- 1 hard boiled egg
- 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise (optional)
- Pitted olives for garnish (optional)
- 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
- Parsley or cilantro leaves for garnish
- Slivers of aji peppers for garnish
Directions
- Boil the potatoes in salted water until completely cooked and soft.
- Boil the seeded aji peppers separately. Peel the peppers and blend the flesh with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of lime juice.
- Mash the potatoes until smooth and mix with the pepper purée.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Allow to cool.
- Build the causa with a layer of cold potatoes, avocado slices, chicken, mayo, or whatever your choices, and finishing with a top layer of mashed potatoes.
- Make a dressing with remaining olive oil, lime juice, a little chopped herbs, and salt and pepper.
- Before serving, finish the presentation with some of the remaining filling on top: eggs, olives, shrimp, parsley or cilantro and drizzle some dressing around the bottom of the serving plate for the final touch.