Causas

Chilled Potato Cakes

Peruvians have been cooking with native potatoes for thousands of years, so you might say we have our own mashed potato rules. Creamy, not light and fluffy, is the goal with causas, the potato base for Peruvian-style chilled casseroles. The key to causas is kneading the potatoes like pasta dough after you mash them up with ají amarillo paste, lime juice, and oil. Canola oil is what most people use, but I really prefer the flavor of olive oil. With help from the oil, the potatoes get a really incredible, almost silky texture. The potato “dough” holds its shape well when spread into a casserole dish or cut up into mini “sushi-style” causas, as I call them.

My mom smashed her papas amarillas, the yellow-fleshed potatoes used to make causas in Peru (here, I use red-skinned or any other waxy potatoes), the old-fashioned way, with a fork, so they were a little chunkier. I like to rice the potatoes to get the smoothest causas, but either way works. You need to mash the potatoes while they are still hot so they break down consistently. When they are barely cool enough to handle, really get in there and use the palms of your hands to work the potatoes for a few minutes. Be paciente—after a few minutes, the potato “dough” will become very smooth.

I go heavier on the salt in my causa bases to balance out the toppings, which I serve a little less seasoned, but do what you like. If spiciness is a problem, cut back on the ají amarillo paste. I used to add half as much pepper paste when my kids were little, but I don’t think I’ll be doing that much longer. Both have quickly become fiery little Peruvians.

• 3½ pounds red potatoes, scrubbed and peeled
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 3 tablespoons ají amarillo paste, store-bought or homemade (page 34), or to taste
• ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the pan
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt, or to taste

1 Halve the potatoes if they are small, or roughly chop larger potatoes into 1½-inch chunks. Place the potatoes in a large pot, cover them with water by a solid inch, and bring the water to a low boil over high heat. Boil the potatoes until very tender when pierced with a knife, 20 to 25 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes. Drain the potatoes.

2 While the potatoes are still very warm, press them through a ricer or food mill into a large bowl, or put them in a large bowl and mash them with a potato masher or the back of a large fork until few lumps remain. Mix in the lime juice and ají amarillo paste, and use the palms of your hands to knead the potatoes for a minute or two. Turn the potatoes out onto a work surface, as I do, if you prefer or the bowl isn’t large enough.

3 Make a well in the center of the potatoes, pour the olive oil in the center, and sprinkle the salt on top. Keep kneading the potatoes with the palms of your hands, like pasta dough, for about 5 minutes, or until the potatoes become almost silky. Taste and add a little more ají amarillo paste or salt, if you’d like. The potatoes should be nicely salted. Follow the instructions on page 103 for chilling and shaping the potatoes.