Causa with sweet potato and Jerusalem artichoke

This recipe from the Peruvian cookbook Andina consists of regular potato, sweet potato and Jerusalem artichoke. Nutritious, then, but above all incredibly delicious.

Causa means ‘purpose’, and was eaten by Peruvian soldiers during the war. When the women gave it to the men, they said: ‘it is for the purpose’. For this recipe you need amarillo paste. The recipe for the paste is below.

Method

First make the rocoto paste. Heat the oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 8-10 minutes until soft, add the chillies and garlic and sauté everything for another 2-3 minutes to soften. Leave to cool and blend in a small food processor or with a stick blender until it forms a paste. Set aside.

Put the potatoes in a pan and cover them with water. Add salt, bring the water to the boil over high heat and cook the potatoes for 15-20 minutes until soft. Drain them. Peel the potatoes as soon as they have cooled sufficiently and return them to the pan. Mash them thoroughly and stir in the olive oil and amarillo paste. Add some salt. Leave the mash to cool to room temperature.

For the sweet potato purée, bring a small pan of water to the boil over high heat and place the halved sweet potato in it. Turn the heat down and simmer gently for 10 minutes until the sweet potato is soft. Drain the sweet potato. Peel it once it has cooled sufficiently, return it to the dry pan, add salt and mash it into a smooth purée.

For the Jerusalem artichoke chips, pat the Jerusalem artichoke slices dry with kitchen paper and sprinkle them with salt. Half-fill a small pan with vegetable oil and heat it to approximately 180°C. Add the Jerusalem artichoke slices and deep-fry them until crisp and nicely curled (3-4 minutes). Remove them with a slotted spoon and leave them to drain on kitchen paper.

Make 16-20 small rolls from the potato mixture and divide them among four plates. Spoon the Jerusalem artichoke tartare on top, add equal amounts of sweet potato and avocado purée and arrange the Jerusalem artichoke chips alongside. Garnish with edible flowers if using and serve immediately.

Amarillo paste
For the amarillo paste, heat the olive oil in a small frying pan over medium-low heat. Sauté the onion for 7-8 minutes until soft but not browned, add the garlic and chillies and sauté everything for another 2-3 minutes until soft. Add salt to taste and leave the paste to cool completely. Briefly blend the cooled paste with the stick blender until smooth and set aside until needed. (You can store leftover paste in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.)

Title: Andina
Author: Martin Morales
Publisher: Fontaine Uitgevers
Price: €21.99