Peruvian Causa Sampler

Peruvian Causa Sampler

Source:
Victoriano Lopez
La Mar Cebicheria
San Francisco and Miami

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

Causa Limeña (yellow potato dough)
Escabeche de Pescado Sauce
Ocopa Sauce
Causa Nikei (red potato dough)
Tuna Tartare
Rocoto Emulsion
Grilled Octopus
Avocado Filling
Olive cream

Directions:

  1. Roll the three different causa doughs into three separate cylinders, and put on a serving plate. Cut the cylinders into 1 1/2-inch sections and put one of each type on a large plate spaced apart.
  2. For the causa limeña (yellow causa), top dough with avocado and half of a tomato. Add the fried fish. Drizzle with escabeche sauce. Next to the causa, drizzle the ocopa sauce. Hard-boil quail egg, peel and halve or quarter. Garnish with egg and cilantro.
  3. For the causa roja (red causa), top dough with avocado and nikei filling. Drizzle with rocoto emulsion. Garnish with nori (seaweed) and micro wasabi.
  4. For the causa verde (green causa), top dough with avocado and egg. Add grilled octopus and peppers. Hard-boil quail egg, peel and halve or quarter. Garnish with egg and drizzle with olive cream.
Causa Limeña (yellow potato dough)
  1. Mix the potato, aji amarillo paste, lime juice, and canola oil in a bowl. Knead together and add salt to taste.
Escabeche de Pescado Sauce
  1. Cut fish into 1-inch cubes and season with salt and pepper. Coat fish with flour.
  2. In a deep sauté pan, heat canola oil to 350 degrees F. Add fish and fry until it is crunchy but juicy inside, about 1-2 minutes.
  3. Sauté garlic paste and aji panca in olive oil for several minutes.
  4. Add the aji amarillo and onion, then stir in honey, cloves, bay leaf and oregano leaf. Season with salt, pepper and cumin.
  5. Add the vinegar and fish stock, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Ocopa sauce
  1. Soak aji mirasol in water; drain.
  2. Add 1 tablespoon of canola oil to a hot pan and sauté aji mirasol and garlic. Leave on low heat.
  3. Add peanuts and 2 leaves of huacatay, and let the mixture cook for a couple of minutes.
  4. Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool. Blend the mixture with animal cracker cookies, any remaining oil and 1/4 cup water.
  5. Season with salt and lime juice. Serve cold.
Causa Nikei (red potato dough)
  1. Mix the potato, rocoto, lime juice and canola oil in a bowl and knead. Add salt to taste.
Tuna Tartare
  1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Add salt to taste.
  2. Rocoto Emulsion
  3. Blend red onion and rocoto paste in a blender on low speed, slowly adding oil until the mixture emulsifies and has the texture of mayonnaise. Season to taste with salt and lime juice.
Causa Olivia
  1. Mix the potato, aji amarillo, lime juice and oil ina bowl and knead
Grilled Octopus
  1. Slice the octopus and marinate in olive oil and crushed garlic.
  2. Briefly sauté octopus and pimiento peppers together in hot pan. Serve warm.
Avocado Filling
  1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl and chill.
Olive Cream
  1. Blend olives in a blender with mayonnaise until smooth. Season with salt and lime juice.