Causa Limeña
Causa of Lima
There was almost always a causa Limeña, the specialty of Lima, on the table at our family gatherings, complete with my mom’s retro black olive, hard-boiled egg, and cilantro design on top. Leftover chicken is the traditional topping, but I use crab when I want to make something special. If you'd like a thicker layer of the toppings, mold the base into a smaller casserole pan, or use only some of the shaped causas. Mamá, te echo de menos.
- 1 pound fresh lump crabmeat (about 2 generous cups), picked over, or shredded cooked chicken
- ⅓ to ½ cup mayonnaise, preferably Japanese
- 2 large ripe avocados, peeled (3 or 4 avocados, if you are making a casserole-style causa)
- 1 or 2 limes
- Kosher salt
- About 1 recipe causa base (page 101), pressed into a casserole pan and chilled, or shaped however you like (see page 103)
- 1 pint cherry or other small tomatoes, halved or quartered if large
- Finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
1 In a medium bowl, gently toss together the crab with just enough mayonnaise to lightly moisten the meat. Try not to break up the large lumps of crab. In another bowl, use a fork to roughly mash the avocados. Squeeze in the juice of 1 lime and season with a pinch of salt, mix well, and add more lime juice to taste.
2 If you are making a casserole, spread the mashed avocado mixture over the potato base and scatter the crab salad on top. You can cover and chill the casserole overnight at this point, if you’d like. If you are making sushi-style or molded causas, divide the mashed avocado mixture and crab salad among them before serving.
3 To serve, scatter the tomatoes on top of the crab salad and gently press down on the tomatoes so they lightly adhere to the filling. Sprinkle the cilantro over the top, cut the causas if needed (for the casserole), and serve.
Causa Limeña
(Causa of Lima)
When Peru went to war with Chile in the late 1800s, Lima was completely cut off from supply routes. Potatoes, limes, and ají amarillo peppers were supposedly the only foods available, so people mashed them up together “por la causa,” or “for the cause,” and refused to surrender. Or so the story goes about the causa Limeña, which is traditionally made with layers of the ají amarillo–spiced potato base, mashed avocado, chicken or tuna salad, another layer of potato, and olives and hard-boiled egg on top.
That might be stretching the truth a little. The word causa likely comes from kausay, the pre-Columbian, Quechuan word for “existence” or “sustenance of life” (the ancient potato dish likely morphed into more of a casserole topped with other ingredients after the Spanish arrived). But I’m siding with my hometown’s “cause.”