Causa Limeña (Peruvian Layered Potato Dish)

Potato layers

• 900 g Yukon Gold potato
• 2 tsp Fine sea salt
• 2 tbsp Aji amarillo paste
• 2 Lime

Chicken and avocado filling

• 350 g Chicken breast, cooked
• 120 g Mayonnaise
• 1 small Red onion
• 1 Celery
• 10 g Fresh coriander
• ½ tsp Black pepper
• 2 Avocado, ripe but firm

1. Peel the potatoes and cut into even chunks. Put them in a large pot, cover with cold water and add 1 tsp of the salt. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until very tender.
2. Drain well, then return the potatoes to the hot pot for 1 minute to steam-dry. Mash until smooth, then stir in the ají amarillo paste, the juice of 1 lime, and the remaining 1 tsp salt. Taste and adjust with more lime juice if you like it sharper, then cool until just warm.
3. Finely dice the red onion and celery, and chop the coriander. Shred the cooked chicken breast into small pieces. In a bowl, mix the chicken with the mayonnaise, onion, celery, coriander, black pepper, and a squeeze of lime juice to brighten it.
4. Halve, stone and slice the avocados. Squeeze a little lime juice over the slices to help prevent browning. Keep them ready for layering.
5. Line a small dish or bowl with a little cling film if you want easy unmoulding, or build directly on a serving plate using a ring mould if you have one. Press half the potato mixture into an even layer, add the avocado in a single layer, then spread over the chicken filling. Top with the remaining potato mixture and smooth the surface.
6. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes so the layers firm up. Unmould if needed, then slice with a sharp knife, wiping the blade between cuts for neat edges. Serve chilled.

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