Apparently we need a new song. Yes, thanks to George and Ira Gershwin, we have "you say potato, I say patahto," but we also need "you spell it yucca, I spell it yuca."
According to Wikipedia, the plant we eat is known as "yuca," whereas the perennial shrub is "yucca." A quick search on epicurious revealed lots of recipes for "yuca" but also one for "yucca." Hmmmm. Even the venerable Versailles Cuban restaurant in Miami has it both ways on the menu, suggesting that in Spanish it is spelled "Yuca," but in English it's "Yucca."
I am thoroughly confused. But I think I have more often seen it in restaurants as "yuca", and, most importantly, my Cuban husband spells it "yuca" and the man is an excellent speller. So I'm going with the Cuban on this one.
To confuse things even more, yuca is also known in South America and Africa as cassava or as manioc. Whatever you call it and however you spell it, yuca is a starchy root vegetable that provides much of the world with those essential carbohydrates.
In this version, commonly seen in Cuban restaurants, the yuca is boiled until it is tender, then smothered in garlic oil and baked. We made it in Corolla as part of a Cuban meal with black beans, tostones, and mojitos. Yum!
Serves 6
20 minutes preparation time
20-30 minutes cooking time
2 large yuca roots
6 garlic cloves
1/4 cup olive oil
salt to taste
Peel the yuca. This isn't the easiest of tasks because the skin is thick and hairy, but use a sharp knife and cut the skin off of one side first. Then set that side on your cutting board to give some stability while you peel the other sides. Cut the yuca into large chunks. If there is a thick, woody fiber running through the pieces, scape it out with the point of a potato peeler.
Put the yuca in a large, oven-proof stockpot, cover it with water, and add a few dashes of salt. Bring the water to a boil and cook the yucca until it is tender when poked with a sharp knife (it will not be as tender as potato; more like cauliflower). Depending on the size of your chunks, this will take at least 20 minutes, so begin testing it when you hit the 20 minute mark.
While the yuca is cooking, prepare the garlic oil. In a mortar and pestle, mash the garlic until it is reduced to small chunks. Scrape it into a small bowl, add the olive oil, a few sprinkles of salt, and mix.
When the yuca has cooked, drain the water off. Return the yuca to the pot, and add the garlic oil. Serve immediately or keep in a covered dish in the oven until you are ready to serve.
I had yucca fries a few years ago in Costa Rica and feel head over heels in love. Thanks for the recipe!!
Posted by: Betsy at Zen Mama | November 28, 2011 at 06:54 PM