Causa Rellena De Atun (Causa Stuffed With Tuna)

sassafrasnanc's Note:

My son came home from Peru describing this dish and we finally found it on a website with traditional Peruvian recipes. It's such a delicious meal! You can substitute the tuna with salmon or any other flavorful large flaked fish. It's a little work to make but well worth the effort and it's quite economical too!

• Total Time: 45 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 3 lbs yellow potatoes
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon oil
• salt & pepper
• 10 black olives
• 1 lb queso fresco or 1 lb farmer cheese , cubed
• 1 minced onion
• 4 lemons
• 3 hard-boiled eggs
• 1 (6 ounce) can tuna
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 small onion
• 4 ounces fresh cheese , cubed
• 1 avocado , peeled and sliced
• 3 hard-boiled eggs
• 10 black olives

Directions:

1. Causa:.
2. Squeeze the lemons and marinate the onion in the lemon juice with salt, pepper and chili powder.
3. Boil the potatoes with their skins on. Peel once cooked and mash them with a fork.
4. Add the lemon juice and onion.
5. Add the oil gradually in order to keep the mixture smooth.
6. To serve causa without stuffing put the mixture into a mold and chill for 1 ½ hours.
7. To serve, unmold and garnish with olives, quartered hard boiled eggs and cubes of cheese.
8. Divide the causa mixture into three parts. Cover the bottom of a mold with one part.
9. Mix the tuna with mayonnaise and onion.
10. Then add a layer of half the tuna mixture. Add a layer of causa followed by a layer of the remaining tuna.
11. Add the sliced avocado.
12. Cover with the third layer of causa and garnish with hard boiled eggs, cheese cubes and olives.
13. Refrigerate for at least 1½ hours.

Reviews

[tarramedina]

My husband is Peruvian, and his family always makes this dish, and I simply love it! For some variety shredded chicken can be used instead of tuna, and key limes instead of lemons, and aji amarillo is the native pepper that they use in the Causa. I have found the aji amarillo in local latino markets. I have seen it in cans, jars, and frozen whole. I am learning to make the dish myself, and your recipe was very helpful! Thanks!!

[Susiecat too]

This was a lovely mild dish and would be a stunning brunch or lunch event entree. Lacking a mold, I used a small individual sized baking dishes (500mL capacity) and came up with individual servings. I can imagine these plated with assorted vegetables around the edge, served with some nice crusty bread. Lovely dish, sassafransnanc! Made for ZWT4.