Peruvian Coursa

A Peruvian Causa is basically a layered potato cake. It is constructed almost like lasagna but using potatoes instead of pasta. In this recipe I use amazing (and quite startlingly coloured) blue potatoes but if can’t find any, the dish is just as delicious made with the common spud.

Cooking time 20 mins
Prep time 20 mins

Ingredients

½ a kilo of new potatoes
½ a kilo of blue potatoes
1 red chilli
1 clove of garlic
1/3 of a fennel bulb
1 large Portobello mushroom
a handful of mixed green and black olives
1 cob of fresh corn
1 small red onion
1 red capsicum
100grams of sun dried tomatoes
Juice of a lime
Black pepper to season

Method
1. Boil the new potatoes in a large pot of boiling water. Put a metal colander on top and put the chopped blue potatoes into it. Cover and allow them to steam while the other potatoes are boiling.
2. Mince the garlic and the chilli.
3. Finely chop the fennel, mushroom, olives, onion, sun dried tomatoes and capsicum.
4. Remove the corn from the cob.
5. Mix all the vegetables (excluding the potatoes) in a large bowl. Add the limejuice and black pepper to season.
6. Once the potatoes are tender, remove them from the heat.
7. Mash the potatoes with garlic and salt and then do the same with the blue potatoes.
8. Layer the ingredients into a pie dish or casserole dish, start with a later of potato, then a layer of filling, a layer of blue potato and repeat.

Top Tip
To make this dish look really special line some large ramekins with Clingfilm and layer the ingredients inside. Remove from the dish by gently pulling on the Clingfilm. These can be served hot or cold. Garnish with a generous dollop of guacamole.