Peruvian Potato-Chicken Salad (Causa Rellena)
Serving chicken or potato salad at a cookout is quite common, making this layered Peruvian potato and chicken salad truly stand out. It's known as "causa" in Peru, and it's a captivating dish infused with ají amarillo, lime juice, and cilantro. These are ideal for preparing in advance and packing into your cooler for a scorching summer day.
Ingredients
For the Chicken Salad
- 1 large cooked chicken breast, diced or shredded
- ¼ cup green peas
- ¼ cup diced cooked carrot
- 1 teaspoon minced shallot
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped roasted red peppers
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- ¼ cup mayonnaise, or as needed
For Potato Mixture
- 1 ¼ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
- 2 tablespoons aji amarillo chili paste, or to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lime, juiced, or more to taste
- cayenne pepper to taste
- salt to taste
- 1 avocado, quartered and sliced
For the Sauce
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon sour cream (Optional)
- 1 small clove garlic, crushed
- 2 teaspoons aji amarillo chili paste, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon water as needed
Instructions
- Combine chicken, green peas, carrot, shallot, roasted red peppers, cilantro, and lime juice in a bowl. Season with salt and cayenne. Add mayonnaise and mix until combined. Cover chicken salad with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Place potatoes into a pot and cover with salted water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until very tender but not falling apart, about 20 minutes. Drain well and transfer potatoes to a mixing bowl. Mash until smooth.
- Add ají amarillo, olive oil, and lime juice to the potatoes. Season with cayenne and salt. Mash together with a potato masher. Switch to a spatula and mix until completely smooth.
- Line four 6-ounce ramekins with plastic wrap. Scoop mashed potatoes evenly into ramekins; press and smooth out the tops. Cover each with a layer of avocado slices. Fill each ramekin to the top with chicken salad, pressing it down and pulling up the plastic wrap to eliminate any air pockets. Cover with a final layer of mashed potatoes, going up to 1/2 inch or more over the rim.
- Seal top with a new layer of plastic wrap and fold the sides over to seal. Refrigerate salads until completely chilled, at least 1 hour.
- Mix mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic, and ají amarillo together for the sauce, adding a splash of water to adjust the thickness.
- Remove the top layer of plastic wrap from each salad. Invert each ramekin onto a serving plate; remove ramekins, then plastic wrap. Spoon some sauce around each salad.
Notes
If you can’t find ají amarillo, you can make a paste from some fire-roasted and peeled orange or red bell peppers, with red Fresno chilies for some heat. While this does get you close, you should definitely try to find a jar of the real stuff, since it does have such a unique flavor.
You can also use russet potatoes.
You can use fresh peas that have been blanched or frozen peas that have been thawed.
Substitute red onion for shallot if desired.
Garnish with cherry tomatoes and cilantro if desired.
Nutrition
Calories: 658kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 19gFat: 49gSaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 58mgSodium: 391mgPotassium: 420mgFiber: 7gSugar: 4gVitamin C: 19mgCalcium: 34mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!