Peruvian Potatoes with Fish and Vegetables (Causa a la Chiclayana)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

Salt, freshly ground pepper

1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 6 slices

2 ears corn

3 fresh hot red peppers, about 4 inches long, or use hot green peppers

Black olives

1/2 cup lemon juice

3 pounds boiling potatoes, peeled and halved

1 pound cassava (yucca) root, peeled and cut into 6 slices

Flour

3 medium onions, cut into 1/8 inch slices

1/2 pound Spanish fresh cheese or Munster cheese, cut into 6 wedges

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1-1/2 cups olive oil plus 4 tablespoons

3 green plantains or green bananas

2 pounds striped bass fillets, cut into 2-inch pieces, or any firm white fish

1/2 cup white vinegar

Lettuce leaves

Cooking Instructions:

In a small bowl combine the finely chopped onion, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. Cook the potatoes in salted water until they are tender, but not mushy. Drain well and mash. Add 1 cup of the olive oil to the onion and lemon juice. Pour this dressing over the potatoes, mixing thoroughly. Make a mound of the potatoes in the center of a large round platter and keep warm, not hot. Boil the sweet potatoes and cassava in salted water for 20 minutes, or until they are tender. Drain and keep warm. It does not matter if the cassava slices have broken up. In a separate saucepan boil the plantains, unpeeled but cut in half if necessary to fit the pan, until tender, about 30 minutes. Green bananas will take less time, about 15 minutes. Peel and cut into 12 slices. Keep warm with the sweet potatoes and cassava. Drip the corn into a large saucepan of boiling salted water and boil for 5 minutes. Cut each ear into 3 slices and put with the other vegetables. Season the flour with salt and pepper. Dredge the fish pieces in the seasoned flour, shaking to remove the excess. In a skillet heat the 4 tablespoons of olive oil and fry the pieces of fish until they are golden brown on both sides, about 3 or 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels and keep warm. Cut the peppers into 1/8-inch strips and put, with the sliced onions, into a saucepan of boiling water. Blanch for a few minutes then drain well. Add the remaining 1/2 cup olive oil, the vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil over low heat and cook, covered, for 2 or 3 minutes. To serve, garnish the platter round the edge with lettuce leaves. Arrange the fish fillets, corn, sweet potato, cassava, and plantains or bananas on the lettuce leaves. Pour the onion and pepper mixture over the potatoes and garnish the mound with the wedges of cheese and black olives.

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