Curious Cooks: Causa Limeña
by Veronica Cervera, publisher of La Cocina de Vero
Causa Limena: one of the most popular of the traditional Peruvian dishes. Photo courtesy of Veronica Cervera.
Many Peruvian dishes use potatoes, after all, there are over 7,000 varieties in Peru. Causa Limeña is one of the most popular of the Peruvian potato dishes. This version also features chicken.
Ingredients
2 pounds small yellow potatoes (Small Peruvian potatoes are preferable, but large yellow potatoes work just as well. Leave the skins on for extra vitamins.)
4 tbs. lime juice
1 cup shredded, cooked chicken or canned chicken breast
½ red onion, julienned
3 tbs. mayonnaise
½ cup vegetable oil
Salt
White pepper
2 boiled eggs, to garnish
8 black botija olives, to garnish
3 tbs. ají amarillo (Most grocery stores carry this yellow chili paste. You can also order it from Amazon)
Directions
Boil the potatoes in salted water until tender, about half an hour. Meanwhile boil the eggs, they must be hard, so they should boil for about 5 minutes.
Put the onion in a bowl with the lime juice. In a second bowl mix the chicken with the mayonnaise and a pinch of fresh ground white pepper.
When the potatoes are ready, mash them in a big bowl. Add the ají paste, and half of the oil, until everything is well combined. Add the lime juice from the onions, and the rest of the oil. Mix well.
Mix the chicken with the onions. Place a small ring mold on the plate. Spoon a layer of the mashed potatoes into the ring. Cut the avocado in slices and lay on the first layer of potatoes. Spread a second layer of mashed potatoes, and then layer with the chicken. Cover with a final layer of potatoes.
Pull the ring off the potato mixture, and garnish with slices of hard boiled eggs and/or black olives.
4 personal portions can be made from this recipe using a small ring mold, but a spring-form pan works well to make a single family-style portion. You can also use a casserole dish, but be sure to reverse the avocado and chicken layers, so the avocado will be on the bottom when you flip the dish to unmold the Causa.
For an extra-spicy Causa, add another tablespoon of ají amarillo to the mashed potatoes.
Buen provecho! Enjoy!
Getting inspired at Machu Picchu. Photo courtesy of Veronica Cervera.
Veronica Cervera is originally from Cuba. Now based in Miami, she is an Account Executive for Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial USA. When she’s not reading, she spends hours cooking and writing for her blog La Cocina de Vero has just published her first cookbook: La Cocina Cubana de Vero.
Veronica is also a regular contributor to Baby Center en Español and has prepared recipes for major corporations, including Avocados de Mexico, Cacique and Gallo Family Vineyards. Recently, she was selected as a top blogger for LATISM. See more of her recipes in TCO’s FOOD QUEST: COSTA RICA
