Recipe Archives->Mexican->Causa 09

Purple Potato Causa

1 lb purple potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil (more or less)
1 tablespoon pitted and finely chopped Ni\xc3\xa7oise olives
1 teaspoon chopped parsley
1 can of packed sardines
1 teaspoon minced shallot
1/2 fennel bulb, fronds chopped off and reserved
1 hardboiled egg
Lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a pot, cover the potatoes with ample water and bring them to a
boil.  Cook until a knife can be inserted without any resistance.
Drain them of their cooking water and let them air dry and cool
down.  In a bowl, fork mash them until they are thoroughly broken
up. With a small whisk (or the fork if you do not have one), slowly
pour in some olive oil. You will only use a few tablespoons of the
olive oil in this, so just pour in a little at a time, and taste
it as you go.  Add some salt if you like, and continue whisking
until the potatoes are smooth.  Stir in the chopped olives and set
aside.

Thinly slice the hardboiled egg crosswise and set aside.

Next, drain the sardines of their marinade and chop them up well.
Combine them with the shallots, the parsley, some lemon juice, olive
oil, and freshly ground black pepper.

Finally, slice the fennel thinly crosswise, so that there are
transparent slices. Chop the fronds (what resembles dill), and toss
them together with some lemon juice, salt, and olive oil.

Using a ring mold, or plastic half-pint container with the bottom
cut out, layer the potatoes, egg, sardines, and the fennel salad
in that order.  You can decorate with left over olives or capers
as you like.  Makes 2 small causas (size of half-pint container).

Printable version: causa09.txt.