Lion's Mane Causa Rellena: Potatoes All Dressed Up
At first glance you might think that these delicate, blossom-covered little domes are another dessert of some kind, perhaps little cakes or mousses. You’d be wrong. These are my ode to Lion’s Mane mushrooms and potatoes, two ingredients with far more versatility than you may think at first glance. They are based on causa, a Peruvian dish made of potato puree spiked with some lemon juice and chili spice, encasing a creamy filling of crabmeat, which I have swapped for a less-traditional medley of lion’s mane mushrooms and crunchy vegetables. These gorgeous domes would make a great appetizer, lunch, or even breakfast. This recipe is also what caused this Idaho girl to finally fall in love with potatoes. That’s right, I live in Idaho - “the potato state.” It’s a shame that many peoples’ first image of Idaho are dusty potato fields and farmland, flat, bland, and maybe a bit boring to the outside view. (Of course that’s an inaccurate view of this beautiful mountainous state, but that’s beside the point.) I’ve always liked potatoes, I suppose, as a good accompaniment to other dishes or a vehicle for sauces and flavoring. But it took one bite of causa to open my eyes to much grander possibilities. Even though potatoes are synonymous with Idaho, they have sure taken a world tour to get here.
Potatoes were first cultivated thousands of years ago in an area that is now southern Peru. Over the centuries, the hands of watchful humans shaped their progression to a shockingly wide variety of colors, shapes, textures, and flavors. After the Spanish invasion in the 16th century, potatoes were introduced to Europe, where they spread and settled into the comfortable position of a staple crop in many new cultures. Eventually, they made their way back to North America and somehow found their way to the Wild West. They continued to adapt to their new homes and to this day, they remain an important food supply all over the world. According to this Smithsonian article,
“Many researchers believe that the potato’s arrival in northern Europe spelled an end to famine there. ... More than that, as the historian William H. McNeill has argued, the potato led to empire: ‘By feeding rapidly growing populations, [it] permitted a handful of European nations to assert dominion over most of the world between 1750 and 1950.’ The potato, in other words, fueled the rise of the West.”
It’s strange to think how such an easily-overlooked, common tuber has completely shaped the history of so many varied cultures. Today, there are thousands of species of potatoes; some waxy, some starchy, some golden, some purple, some knobbly, some round, on and on with a wide proliferation of potato expression. Even though most of us are only acquainted with the few varieties available at grocery stores and farmers’ markets, I love knowing that there is so much more to this vegetable than just white starch. That’s why this particular Peruvian dish left me so captivated; these potatoes were flavorful and delicious without the common additions of cream, milk, butter, or cheese. They weren’t a vehicle for dairy and their usual supporting role was cast aside. In this dish, potatoes were the star of the show.
Traditionally, causa is served as a neat stack, where layers of potatoes flavored with salt, lime juice, and some chile hold layers of avocado and sometimes other fillings like tuna, chicken, crab, or olives. It’s a great appetizer or meal (just add a salad.) I wanted to dress it up a bit in honor of springtime’s bright proliferation. Instead of stacks, I’ve gone with layers in a bombe shape, then used various natural colors of potatoes to pipe on lots of detailed and beautiful flowers!
Since Idaho has a lot more to offer than just potatoes, I knew I wanted to incorporate a little local flavor to this new interpretation. Here in the mountains (which exist) and the forests (which exist), you can sometimes discover a really interesting mushroom called Lion’s Mane growing from dead logs. It looks like furry patches of white snow, or maybe the back of some mysterious albino creature. Lion’s mane has a subtle, gentle flavor and a fascinating texture to cook with. (It’s also highly medicinal and known to help neurological conditions, but you won’t be getting much of a therapeutic dose from this delicious dish.) Lion’s mane is both tender and stringy and can be gently pulled apart a bit like string cheese or crab meat. In fact, it is often used as a substitution for crab in crab cakes for many of my foraging friends. It’s delicious when gently sauteed in a little neutral oil and drizzled with lemon juice. In this dish, it is playing the supportive role to the splendor of the potatoes, but don’t let that fool you: this is one special filling.
Here, the Americas are united into one beautiful dish. The splendor of root vegetables from South America meet the versatility and flavor of the forests of North America. A special Peruvian pepper paste called ‘Aji amarillo’ adds a floral spiciness to the filling and the whole dish is finished off in Wondersmith style with a proliferation of beautiful piped flowers showcasing the natural color palette of potatoes. I used bold Russian flower piping tips with different natural colors of potatoes to make a colorful and beautiful presentation. Your guests might just mistake these for cupcakes at first glance! This recipe makes 6 little cakes, but can easily be doubled for 12!
Ingredients:
2 lbs purple potatoes
Sea salt
2 Tbs.. freshly squeezed lime juice
Olive oil or melted vegan butter
Pinch of cayenne pepper
For Decoration:
1 yukon gold potato, plus 1 tsp. Lime juice, small pinch cayenne pepper, and some olive oil
2 white potatoes, plus 1 tsp. Lime juice, small pinch of cayenne pepper, and some olive oil
1 beetroot plus 1 tsp lime juice, small pinch of cayenne pepper, and some olive oil
Filling:
1 Tbs. olive oil
3 Tbs. finely minced red onion
4-6oz lion’s mane mushrooms or crab meat, torn into small strips
Juice of one lime
¼ tsp. salt
1/2 Tbs. aji amarillo puree (or more to taste)
1/2 c. vegan mayo
½ c. minced celery
1 avocado, diced
Directions:
Peel the purple potatoes and cut them into chunks. Boil in salted water until they are tender. Mash until smooth, then pass through a kitchen strainer to make the mixture really smooth.
Knead the potatoes until they are smooth. Slowly add in the oil or melted butter, a little at a time, until the potatoes have a dough-like consistency. Mix in the lime juice, cayenne, and salt to taste, then cover and let cool to room temperature while you make the filling.
To make the filling, heat the olive oil in a medium pan over medium heat, then add the red onion. Cook for about thirty seconds, then add the lion’s mane mushrooms. Cook, without stirring, for about one minute, then cook for another minute stirring occasionally. Add 2 Tbs. water and cover the pan to steam the lion’s mane for about 5 minutes, then cook uncovered for another 2-3 minutes to let any extra moisture evaporate. Remove from heat and let the mushrooms and onions cool.
Meanwhile, mix together the lime juice, salt, aji amarillo puree, and vegan mayo together in a small bowl. In another bowl, add the celery and avocado. When the mushrooms have cooled to room temperature, add them to the other vegetables and stir. Pour the sauce over the top and stir well to coat everything evenly.
Lightly grease some half-sphere silicone baking molds, then spoon in the purple mashed potato mixture. Use a spoon to create an even thickness of potato about ¼” thick inside the dome. Press out any air bubbles. Spoon the filling into the purple domes, leaving a 1cm space from the top. Add more purple potatoes to cover the top of the mold. Place in the fridge to chill for at least an hour.
Once the half-domes have chilled, repeat the process of mashing, sieving, and kneading the potatoes with the yukon gold potatoes, the white potato, and the other white potato with the beetroot, keeping each mixture separate. These will become the frosting, along with any reserved purple potato mixture. You may need to add extra lime juice, oil, or water to thin the mixture out a bit to where it can be piped (you can always test it out before moving on to the decoration process by filing a pastry bag with one of the mixtures and cutting an end in the bag and piping some lines. You want the potatoes to flow easily like frosting without crumbling or cracking, but also to hold their shape without being too soft.
To create a faded ombre look in your piped flowers, spread an even rectangle about ½” thick and 2” wide (and roughly 4 or 5” long) of one color of potato out onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Spoon another color on top, creating a ¾” wide strip vertically in the middle. Use the plastic wrap to help you wrap the first potato color around the second to make a small log of potato encased in plastic wrap. Twist the ends of each log to keep them contained in the plastic wrap. Repeat this process to make a few different color combinations. Fit pastry bags with large Russian flower piping tips, then cut one end off of a potato log and slide it into the pastry bag, cut end down. Repeat with the rest of your colors.
Carefully and gently flip the half-sphere molds onto a flat surface. Now is a good time to very carefully move each dome to an individual plate or a serving platter. To pipe flowers on the outside of the domes, place the piping tip at a 90 degree angle on the surface of the dome. Squeeze the bag to build up a nice base, then pull it straight up and away as you release the pressure. (This may take a little practice at first.) Alternate different colors and patterns to give these savory treats the look of a bouquet of flowers! Chill to set up, then serve with some lemon and/or chile sauce on the side.
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Join me for a little winter night magic as we bake this cake full of rich seasonal flavors and black cocoa!