Causa Limena Rellena de Pollo

Ingredients

• 1.2kg yellow-fleshed potatoes such as Yukon Gold or papa amarilla
• 5 tbsp aji amarillo paste
• 6 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 5 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tsp fine sea salt
• 400g cooked chicken breast
• 150g mayonnaise
• 2 spring onions
• 1 celery stick
• 2 ripe Hass avocados
• 1 lime, for the avocado
• 3 eggs
• 12 black botija olives
• 2 tbsp chopped coriander
• Black pepper

Before you cook

• Line a 20cm square dish with cling film, leaving a generous overhang on all sides
• Scrub the potatoes and leave them whole and unpeeled
• Shred the cooked chicken finely with two forks
• Slice the spring onions thinly and dice the celery very small
• Halve, stone and peel the avocados, then slice them and squeeze lime over the slices

Steps

1. Put the potatoes in a large pan of well salted cold water and bring them to the boil.
2. Simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, until a skewer meets no resistance at the centre.
3. Drain the potatoes and peel them while they are still too hot to hold comfortably, using a cloth to grip them.
4. Pass the hot potato through a ricer or a fine sieve into a wide bowl, which keeps the texture silky rather than gluey.
5. Let the riced potato cool for 10 minutes so it stops steaming.
6. Add the aji amarillo paste, lime juice, oil and salt to the potato.
7. Knead the mixture with your hands for 3 minutes, until it is smooth, deep yellow and holds together like soft putty.
8. Taste and push it further with lime and salt, remembering it will be eaten cold and cold food needs more seasoning.
9. Lower the eggs into boiling water and cook them for 9 minutes, then cool, peel and slice them.
10. Mix the shredded chicken with the mayonnaise, spring onion, celery and coriander, then season it well with salt and pepper.
11. Press half the potato mixture into the lined dish in an even layer about 2cm deep, smoothing it with the back of a wet spoon.
12. Spread all the chicken filling over the potato right to the edges.
13. Lay the avocado slices over the chicken in a single overlapping layer.
14. Cover with the remaining potato mixture and smooth the top flat.
15. Fold the cling film over, press down lightly to compact the layers, and chill for at least 1 hour.
16. Unfold the cling film and invert the causa onto a serving board, then peel the film away.
17. Decorate the top with sliced egg and black olives.
18. Cut into squares with a hot wet knife and serve cold.