Causa is a Limeño classic, that’s great to share amongst friends as an appetizer or small individual plate. No food is welcome on a hot summers day than cool mashed potatoes stuffed with fruits of from the sea. Below you’ll find the ingredients and recipe for a simplified version of the dish, which Aracari’s gastronomic advisor Maria Julia Raffo will be demonstrating in a live Instagram cook-a-long. So why prepare your pantry and join us at 12 midday CST (Lima Time) on Sunday, October 11th to discover how Peruvians cook potatoes.
Ingredients:
For the Causa:
- 2 yellow potatoes
- 1 tbsp ají amarillo paste
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/2 lb (1/4 kg) fresh white cheese
- Juice of 1/2 key lime
- Salt and white pepper
- 1 can of tunafish
- 1 avocado
For the salsa golf mix (optional):
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp worcestershire sauce
Method:
Scrub the potatoes and place them in a saucepan with plenty of salted water. Bring to the boil and cook until tender. Strain the potatoes when warm, but cool enough to handle, peel and mash them by pressing them through the back of a fine-mesh sieve with the back of a spoon. Alternatively use a ricer.
Add vegetable oil, ají amarillo paste, lime juice and salt and white pepper to taste. Mix all the ingredients together thoroughly.
Lightly oil and line an individual cup mold with plastic wrap. Line the base of the mold with an even layer of the potato mixture, followed by flakes of tuna fish with a spoonful of the Salsa golf mix. (Optionally you can use crayfish instead of tuna). Add another layer of potatoes, followed by a layer of sliced avocado with a sprinkling of salt and dash of lime juice on top. Finish off with a final layer of potato and chill in the fridge for at least one hour before serving.
To serve: Invert the causa onto an individual serving plate and unmold. You might like to serve Causa with a warm crayfish coral sauce and garnish with finely chopped ají amarillo chilies, olives, crayfish tails, and fresh white cheese.
Cooks note: The ají amarillo is the most commonly used hot pepper in Peru. It has an aromatic fruity flavor and is not too hot. Ají amarillo can be difficult to find in the UK, but it is possible to order it as a paste from Amazon and other specialist retailers.