Causa Rellena
Causa rellena is a Peruvian layered potato salad that is molded in a dish, chilled, then sliced. First you make mashed potatoes with lime juice, olive oil, and aji amarillo paste. The potatoes will be used for the top and bottom layer. The center layers consists of sliced avocado and tuna salad. I recommend using a higher quality canned tuna in olive oil such as yellowfin. If you aren’t a fan of tuna, you can substitute chopped chicken.To assemble, I used a Pyrex loaf pan that I normally bake banana bread in. You will need to line the pan with plastic wrap, then spray the inside with nonstick spray. Place a layer of potatoes a third of the way up the pan. Then place a layer of avocado, followed by the tuna salad. Top off with the rest of the potatoes. Tightly wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours before serving to allow the casserole to firm up. When ready to serve, flip onto a plate. Cut out a slice and serve.
Equipment
- potato ricer
- plastic wrap
- loaf pan
Ingredients
Potato Layer
- 2 lbs potatoes
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 2 tbsp aji amarillo paste
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Filling
- 2 cans yellowfin tuna in olive oil drained
- 3 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tsp lime juice
- 2 tbsp red onion finely chopped
- 1 tbsp parsley
- 1 avocado sliced
Instructions
- Mix together the tuna, mayonnaise, lime juice, onion, and parsley. Place in the refrigerator.
- Boil the potatoes until soft; about 10 minutes. Drain and let cool.
- Put the potatoes through a ricer.
- Mix in the rest of the potato layer ingredients.
- Line the inside of a loaf pan with plastic wrap. Coat with nonstick cooking spray.
- Spread a layer of the potatoes on the bottom; about a third of the way up.
- Place the sliced avocado across the potato layer.
- Pour the tuna salad over the avocado layer.
- Spread the rest of the potatoes over the tuna salad layer.
- Tighly wrap the loaf pan in plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator for 4 hours before serving to firm up.
- Once firm, flip onto a plate.
