Causa Rellena

The first time I had this was at a church potluck. A woman from Peru made it with white potatoes and decorated the top with fresh garden tomatoes. It was such a different way for me to experience chicken salad, I just fell in love with it. The next time I had it, was at Andina restaurant in Portland, Oregon. It was made with purple potatoes and was served on a small plate in a one-serving cylindrical stack, very fancy and exotic looking, but every bit as delicious as I remembered it. Pictured above is the one I made for a break the fast potluck last Sunday. The recipe that follows is exactly what I did. In the notes you will see the Andina version and ways to change it to suit your ingredients and style.

5 lbs yukon gold potatoes
salt & pepper to taste
2 sticks unsalted butter, melted
1 14-oz jar of pepperoncini sandwich rings, drained
3 large limes, juiced
4 10-oz cans chicken meat, well drained
1 cup plain yogurt
2 avacados, sliced
sliced olives
mini sweet peppers
other garnishes of your choosing

Place the potatoes in a pot of cold water. Bring to a boil. Cook until tender, about half an hour. Remove the entire pot to the sink and run cold water into it to cool the potatoes enough to handle. Peel off the skins with a paring knife (they should slip right off). Place the peeled potatoes in a large casserole and mash coarsely with a little salt and pepper.

In a blender, combine melted butter, lime juice, and pepperoncini. Puree into a sauce. Pour into the mashed potatoes, and mash together until all is combined.

In a large bowl, combine the chicken and the yogurt.

To assemble, remove half of the potato mixture and spread the remaining half evenly in the bottom of your casserole dish. Next, spread the chicken mixture evenly on top of that. Top with an arrangement of the avacado slices, reserving a few for garnish. Finish with another layer of the potato mixture. Decorate as you like.

NOTES:
• You are welcome to use other kinds of potatoes. I generally like the waxier whites, red, or yukon gold. Purple potatoes are also fun, if you can get them.
• Regular salted butter would probably be just fine, and in fact I have seen vegetable oil used instead.
• It is NOT usual to use pepperoncini in this recipe. You are supposed to use aji amarillo, but I could not find any at the three stores I went to, so I made this substitution and it was delicious.
• This is sometimes made with tuna or even crab meat instead of chicken.
• Some people use mayonnaise with the chicken instead of yogurt, but I thought there was enough oil in the potatoes, and besides, I have started making my own yogurt so I always have it on hand.