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Causa limeña
Layered potato terrine
Layered yellow potato terrine with ají amarillo, filled with avocado and vegetables; chill 1 hour
Causa limeña is Lima's cold potato terrine: yellow potatoes mashed with lime, oil and ají amarillo, pressed into layers and filled. In Lima it is a lunchtime starter sold in every menú and at every family party, often with tuna or chicken; this vegetarian causa is filled with ripe avocado and a creamy salad of corn, peas and carrot. The potato should be smooth, sunny yellow, tangy and gently hot, and the whole thing is served cold in neat slices. Make it in the morning for dinner, or the day before for a party. Chef's tip: mash the potatoes while warm but add the lime only once they have cooled; lime on hot potato turns the mash grey and gluey.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the potato
- 2 ¼ lb yellow potatoesfloury, such as Yukon Gold or Maris Piper, or papa amarilla
- 3 tbsp ají amarillo pasteor blend 1 roasted yellow pepper with ¼ scotch bonnet and a pinch of turmeric
- 2 limesjuiced
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 ½ tsp salt
For the filling
- 1 carrotfinely diced
- 2 ⅞ oz frozen peas
- 2 ⅞ oz sweetcorn kernelsfrozen or tinned
- ¼ red onionvery finely diced
- 4 tbsp mayonnaise
- ½ limejuiced
To garnish
- 2 eggs (optional)hard-boiled and sliced
- 6 black olives (optional)botija or Kalamata, halved
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley (optional)chopped
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Method
0/11 doneStep 1: Put the unpeeled 2 ¼ lb yellow potatoes in a large pan of cold, well-salted water, bring to the boil and simmer over a medium heat until a knife slides into the centre with no resistance. Cooking them in their skins keeps them dry, which gives a firmer causa.
25 minStep 2: While they cook, boil the 1 carrot for 4 minutes, add the 2 ⅞ oz frozen peas and 2 ⅞ oz sweetcorn kernels for the last minute, then drain and spread on a plate to cool.
5 minStep 3: Drain the potatoes, peel them while hot (hold them in a tea towel) and push them through a ricer or a sieve into a bowl. Do not use a food processor or blender: the potato turns to glue.
Step 4: Mix in 4 tbsp vegetable oil and 1 ½ tsp salt, then leave the mash to cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes. Spreading it out in the bowl speeds this up.
15 minStep 5: Knead in 3 tbsp ají amarillo paste and the juice of 2 limes with your hands, as if working a dough, until the mash is evenly yellow, smooth and holds together like soft play-dough. Taste: it should be clearly tangy, salty and gently hot. If it cracks, add a spoonful of oil.
Step 6: For the filling, mix the cooled vegetables with the ¼ red onion and 4 tbsp mayonnaise and season with a pinch of salt.
Step 7: Halve the 2 ripe avocados, slice them thinly and squeeze over ½ lime so they stay green.
Step 8: Line a 20 cm square tin or a 1 kg loaf tin with cling film, leaving it hanging over the sides. Press in half the potato in a smooth, even layer about 1.5 cm thick, using wet fingers or the back of a spoon.
Step 9: Lay the avocado slices over the potato, then spread the vegetable salad on top in an even layer, keeping 5 mm clear of the edges so it doesn't leak out of the sides.
Step 10: Cover with the rest of the potato and smooth the top. Fold the cling film over and chill for at least 1 hour, or up to a day, so it firms enough to slice cleanly.
60 minStep 11: Turn out onto a board, peel off the film and cut into 6 slices with a knife dipped in hot water and wiped between cuts. Top each slice with 2 eggs, 6 black olives and 1 tbsp fresh parsley, and serve cold.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 300 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does causa limeña take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of yellow potatoes?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
- What can I use instead of limes?
- Lemon, same amount.
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