Red Snapper Yuca Cakes with Mojo de Ajo

While in Costa Rica, Boston chef Steve Johnson was inspired to make fish cakes from leftover red snapper and boiled yuca. The combination takes clever advantage of the vegetable's starchy character, which binds the cakes together while allowing the flavor of the snapper to come through cleanly. We prefer to use frozen yuca, which has a better consistency and is easier to prepare.

Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 2 hr
Servings: Makes 6 servings.

Ingredients
For red snapper yuca cakes

• 1 1/2 lb frozen yuca*
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, halved lengthwise then thinly sliced lengthwise
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 lb red snapper fillets, skinned and any bones removed
• 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

For mojo de ajo

• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 cup fresh orange juice (from 2 oranges)
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)
• 6 fresh Thai chiles (red or green), seeded and minced, or 2 to 3 serrano chiles (including seeds), minced
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced shallot (4 small)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  

Accompaniment: lime wedges

Preparation
Make cakes:
Simmer yuca in boiling salted water until fork-tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Drain yuca and transfer to a large bowl, then cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

While yuca is cooling, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté onion with cumin and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon cayenne over fish and add to onion in skillet, then sauté, turning fish over once, until just cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer fish with onion to a plate and cool to room temperature.

Remove thin, fibrous core from yuca if necessary, then coarsely mash yuca with a wooden spoon. Flake fish and add to yuca along with onion and herbs, tossing to combine (mixture will be coarse). Form into 12 (2 1/2-inch) cakes (1 inch thick) and transfer to a wax-paper-lined tray. Cover cakes with plastic wrap and chill 30 minutes.

Make mojo while cakes chill:
Cook garlic in oil in a small skillet over low heat, stirring, until just softened, about 3 minutes. Transfer garlic with oil to a small bowl and stir in remaining mojo ingredients. Chill mojo, covered, until serving.

Sauté cakes:
Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil over moderately high heat in a 12-inch heavy skillet (preferably nonstick) until hot but not smoking, then sauté half of cakes, turning over once, until browned and heated through, about 8 minutes total. Sauté remaining cakes in remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil. Serve with mojo and lime wedges.

Cooks' notes:

• Formed cakes (not sautéed) and mojo can be chilled up to 1 day.
• Formed cakes (not sautéed) can be frozen, wrapped well, 2 weeks. Thaw in refrigerator before cooking.
  

*Available at Latino markets and some supermarkets.