Ferreñafe's signature dish: seasoned yellow potato, salted fish, warm pickled onions, cassava, sweet potato, corn, plantain, egg, olives, and lettuce. Generous, tangy, savory, and festive, this northern Peruvian causa is served as a complete meal rather than a small appetizer.
Turn what you find into an experience you can actually bring to your kitchen.
Rinse the salted mackerel and place it in a bowl with 40% of the cold water. Desalt for 3 hours, changing the water once halfway through. At the end, check the salt level: it should still taste distinctly savory and marine, but no longer harshly salty.
Bring 20% of the water to a gentle boil in a pot. Add the desalted mackerel and cook for 5 minutes without aggressive boiling. Drain, let it cool slightly, and separate the fish into large pieces, removing any visible bones.
Using the remaining 40% of the water, cook the yellow potatoes, cassava, yellow sweet potato, corn, ripe plantain, and eggs. Remove each item as it becomes ready: the eggs at about 10 minutes, the corn and plantain once tender, and the roots when a knife slides in easily while they still hold their shape. Drain everything.
Peel the potatoes while still warm and pass them through a potato ricer. Add the yellow chili paste, lime juice, 30% of the vegetable oil, 35% of the salt, and 30% of the black pepper. Mix until smooth, yellow, and cohesive without becoming gummy. Let it cool toward room temperature.
Cut the red onion into thick julienne strips and the yellow chili into wide deseeded strips. Toss them with 80% of the vinegar, 15% of the salt, and 70% of the black pepper. Rest for 15 minutes, until the onion is seasoned and slightly mellowed while remaining firm.
Heat the remaining 70% of the vegetable oil in a skillet. Sauté the ground garlic and ají panca paste for 1 minute. Add the onions and chili with their marinade, the dried oregano, cumin, and remaining 50% of the salt. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until the onion is glossy and slightly tender while still retaining bite and a little tangy liquid remains.
Quickly dress the lettuce with the remaining 20% of the vinegar and drain it. Place a generous portion of potato causa on each plate and top with a portion of fish. Spoon the warm onion relish over the fish and arrange the cassava, sweet potato, corn, plantain, and egg around it. Finish with the lettuce and black olives. Serve the causa cool or at room temperature with the onions still warm.
