I love potlucks. They give me an excuse to experiment with dishes that are time consuming or complicated or involve unusual ingredients, or all of the above. I love to feed people, and even better, I love it when I make something that makes everyone in the room excited. These spicy shrimp causa bites did the trick: I made these for a Fourth of July party (and yes, I’m aware that was over a month ago. I’m a bad blogger). People loved them: They’re unusual and full of flavor and are fun to eat. Sure they’re a little time consuming, but they’re totally worth it.
I first heard of Causa when I went to a fund raiser at a Peruvian restaurant in Somerville. It’s a traditional Peruvian potato dumpling or salad, served cold and mixed with spices and usually some kind of chicken or tuna salad. It can be served layered or molded like a jello salad, though the first time I had them they were served like small round dumplings, which is how I decided to make them.
I had been wanting to make causas for awhile, but never seemed to find the right occasion. When I saw a recipe for Peruvian Potato Salad with Shrimp Escabeche in Food and Wine, I realized the recipe was for a Causa-style dish and I decided it was time to give it a try. I adapted the recipe to make it more easy to transport and serve (and because I though little bites might be more fun than a slightly odd looking layered salad).
This isn’t a last minute kind of dish: The shrimp have to be made ahead of time, and the potatoes have to be cooked and then chilled. But potlucks and parties are all about doing something a little more challenging, right?
Assembling the bites was kind of tricky, because the “dough” is very soft, but it only took a few tries to get it right. I had Mr. X take some pictures of the process so you can see what worked best for me. Essentially, you just want to shape the potato dough around the shrimp filling. Don’t worry too much if the shrimp and potato end up more intermingled than enveloped. They will be delicious regardless.
Causas is traditionally served with avocado, hard-boiled eggs, and olives, and those would have been great additions to this platter of potato dumplings, but they were pretty darned delicious on their own. This one was definitely a keeper. Maybe next time I’ll try to make it into some kind of crazy layered concoction, but for serving as appetizers, these little bites were kind of perfect.
Spicy Shrimp Causa Bites
Adapted from Food and Wine.
Aji Amarillo powder or paste might be tricky to find. My friend brought some back for me from a trip to Peru, but you might be able to find it in a nicer supermarket. Serious Eats has a fun post on Aji Amarillo, and you can probably order it online if you can’t find it locally.
For shrimp filling
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound of shrimp
- 1/2 red onion, minced
- 1 medium red bell pepper, minced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon chopped oregano
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 cup clam juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
For the potato dumplings
- 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons Aji Amarillo powder (the recipe calls for paste, but I had powdered)
- 2-3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- salt and pepper to taste
- chopped cilantro to garnish
Make the shrimp the day before you plan to serve the causas, so it has time to marinate and become extra delicious. Remove the tails and devein your shrimp, then chop the shrimp into small pieces. Heat one tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet, and cook the shrimp for a few minutes, until they are just cooked through. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the shrimp to a bowl. Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan, if it looks dry, then cook the onion and red pepper until soft, about five minutes. Remove to the bowl with the shrimp. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds, then add the cumin, turmeric, and oregano. Stir well and cook for another 30 seconds, until fragrant. Then add the vinegar and fish stock. Bring the liquid to a boil and cook until it’s reduced to a cup (about four or five minutes). Add salt to taste. Then pour the marinade and vegetables into the bowl with the shrimp and onions. Stir in the cilantro, then cover and refrigerate overnight, or at least six hours. (My shrimp actually marinated for two days, and they were amazing).
A few hours before you want to serve them, begin to prepare the potatoes. Cut the potatoes into two-inch pieces. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the potatoes, cover, and cook until tender (about 10 minutes). Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot, over low heat, so they can dry out a little bit. Use a ricer or a food mill to puree the potatoes to a very smooth mash. Cover the potatoes and refrigerate until they’re cool.
Once the potatoes are chilled, stir in the vegetable oil, lime juice, Aji Amarillo powder, mayonnaise, and salt and pepper to taste.
Now you’re ready to form the dumplings: Take a scant tablespoon of potato “dough” and flatten it into a circle in your palm. Take about a teaspoon of the shrimp filling, and put it into the center of the potato circle. Push the sides of the circle up around the shrimp to a form a kind of bowl, then take another small bit of potato “dough” to cover up the top. Roll the dumpling into a small ball in your palms, and put on a plate. Continue until your potatoes are gone (you’ll probably have leftover shrimp and it is delicious tossed with some pasta).
Chill the causa bites for at least 30 minutes, then sprinkle with cilantro. If you’d like to go all the way, you can serve these with avocado slices, hard-boiled eggs, and olives.