A classic, elegant seafood causa. Yellow potato seasoned with ají, lime, and oil surrounds a creamy crab and mayonnaise filling with avocado for contrast. Fresh, tender, and unmistakably Peruvian, it shines as a cevichería-style appetizer or a dish for guests.
Turn what you find into an experience you can actually bring to your kitchen.
Place the yellow potatoes in a pot with about half of the water and boil for 20 to 25 minutes, until a knife passes through the center without resistance. Drain, peel while still hot, and immediately pass through a potato ricer; hot, well-drained potatoes produce a finer causa.
While the potatoes cook, bring the remaining water to a boil in a large pot and add the crab. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until the shell has fully changed color and the meat is opaque. Remove with tongs, cool just enough to handle, and carefully extract all edible meat, discarding shell, gills, and cartilage.
Let the riced potatoes release steam for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the yellow ají paste, vegetable oil, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Mix by hand until the causa is smooth, flavorful, and moldable, moist but not strongly sticky. Do not overwork it.
Gently break up the crab meat, checking once more for any shell fragments, and mix it with the mayonnaise. Stir only until combined: the filling should be creamy and cohesive while still showing recognizable flakes and pieces of crab, not mashed into a paste.
Slice the avocado. Form a first layer with half the causa, arrange the avocado over it, spread all the crab filling on top, and cover with the remaining potato mixture. Press only enough to stabilize the layers. Serve cool or chilled in clean portions: the potato should remain tender and the filling should taste first of crab, not mayonnaise. 🦀
