Causa Limeña
Cold layers of yellow potato mashed with lime and ají amarillo, packed around a chicken or crab filling and turned out like a terrine.
Photograph credit: Causa limeña 2023 by GORE Callao · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Method
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Boil the potatoes whole in their skins for 20 to 25 minutes until completely tender. Drain and peel while still hot.
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Pass them through a ricer into a bowl while hot — cold potato will not take the seasoning smoothly.
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Work in the ají amarillo paste, lime juice, oil and salt, kneading with your hands for 3 minutes until the mash is smooth, dense and slightly elastic. Taste: it should be sharp and clearly spiced.
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Cool the potato completely, covered.
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Mix the chicken or crab with the mayonnaise, spring onion, celery, lime, salt and white pepper.
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Line a loaf tin or a ring mould with cling film.
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Press in a third of the potato in an even layer, then half the filling, then avocado slices.
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Add another third of potato, the rest of the filling, and finish with the last of the potato, pressing each layer flat.
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Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours, ideally overnight.
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Turn out, peel off the film, and decorate with egg slices, olives, piped mayonnaise and coriander. Serve cold.
Chef’s Tips
- Rice the potatoes hot, season hot, chill after. Order matters.
- Season harder than seems right. Cold mutes everything.
- Overnight in the fridge gives clean slices.
Common Substitutions & Variations
- Out of spring onions? A small regular onion, finely sliced, or a few chives stirred in at the end both cover the job.
- Lemon is the everyday swap for limes in this kind of dish — the acidity plays the same role even though the flavour is not identical.
Pairing Suggestions
- A pisco sour
- Salsa criolla
- Choclo corn
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate up to 2 days, wrapped. Do not freeze.
Common questions
How long does Causa Limeña take to make?
About 1 hour 5 minutes of hands-on work — 40 minutes of preparation and 25 minutes of cooking — plus 3 hours of chilling, so allow 4 hours 5 minutes from start to finish. The recipe serves 6.
What are the key tips for making Causa Limeña?
Rice the potatoes hot, season hot, chill after. Order matters. Season harder than seems right. Cold mutes everything. Overnight in the fridge gives clean slices.
What should I serve with Causa Limeña?
A pisco sour; Salsa criolla; Choclo corn.
Can Causa Limeña be made ahead or frozen?
Refrigerate up to 2 days, wrapped. Do not freeze.
Is Causa Limeña suitable for a special diet?
This recipe is gluten-free and no added sugar. Those labels are checked against the ingredient list, so a dish is only marked when nothing in it contradicts the claim.
How many calories are in Causa Limeña?
About 412 kcal per serving, with 26 g protein, 32 g carbohydrate and 16 g fat. The figures are calculated from the ingredient list and are an estimate.
Nutritional Highlights
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.
Reader Reviews
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Written and tested by Turab
One person, one kitchen — no test kitchen, no team. How every recipe on this site is checked before it goes up.
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