Yuca Fries

ingredients
2 pounds firm, unblemished yuca, peeled and cut into 2-by- 1/2 -inch sticks
Canola oil, for deep-frying
Salt

directions

1. In a large saucepan of lightly salted boiling water, cook the yuca for 10 minutes. Add 1 cup of cold water to the saucepan and bring back to a boil. (The cold water tenderizes the yuca.) Continue to cook the yuca until tender, about 5 minutes longer. Drain and refresh under cold running water; drain again and pat thoroughly dry. Check the yuca for stringy fibers and pull out them out.
2. In a deep-fryer or medium saucepan, heat 2 inches of oil to 350°. Divide the yuca into 4 batches and fry each batch until golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the yuca to paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with salt and serve at once.

MAKE AHEAD The boiled yuca can be refrigerated for up to 2 days before deep-frying.

[+/-] Readmore...

[+/-] Summary only...

Cassava Pasteles

3 packages frozen ground cassava (available at Latin Markets)
2-1/2 lbs. pork meat, cut in chunks, not larger than 1/2 inch cubes,
1/2 lb diced cured ham
1 cup Sofrito
15 chopped stuffed green olives
1/4 cup small capers, drained
1/4 cup raisins
1 cup tomato sauce
Olive oil
1 cup achiote oil
salt and pepper to taste

Drain carefully the ground cassava, taking out as much water as possible. Add to the cassava the salt, pepper, annato oil and and more or less 1 cup of the sauce from the stewed meat. The meat should be stewed with the cured ham, sofrito, chopped olives, capers, raisins, tomato sauce, some olive oil, some annato oil for additional color, salt and pepper to taste and some wine for cooking. The resulting sauce will be used as flavoring to add to the ground cassava.

[+/-] Readmore...

[+/-] Summary only...

Cassava soup 3

Sour cream and chopped scallion for garnish
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp salt
7 cups water
4 cups peeled and diced yuca
4 cups chopped mild onion

In a saucepan, bring onions, yuca, and water to a boil. Reduce heat to low, add 1/2 tsp salt, stir, cover, and simmer 20 to 30 minutes. When the yuca is tender, remove from heat and puree in a food processor or blender. Stir in heavy cream. Transfer to bowl, cover with plastic wrap, chill for two to three hours. Serve and enjoy.

[+/-] Readmore...

[+/-] Summary only...

Strawberry Tapioca Flamingo

Today, a looser concoction of tapioca is preferred, so if you want the dessert lighter, add 1/4 cup more juice to the tapioca cooking liquid and 1/4 cup more cream to the topping. If you like a neater presentation, the strawberries may be cut into small pieces rather than crushed.

1 pound strawberries, hulled
1 cup sugar
About 2 cups pineapple juice or water
1/3 cup quick-cooking tapioca
Scant 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup heavy cream, whipped.

1. Lightly crush the strawberries. Add the sugar and let stand at least 30 minutes.
2. Set a strainer over a bowl and drain the strawberries. Set them aside. Add enough pineapple juice or water to the strawberry juice to make 3 cups total.
3. In a saucepan, mix together the juice, tapioca and salt. Bring to a full boil, stirring constantly, then remove from the heat. (The mixture will be thin. Do not overcook.)
4. Fold the drained strawberries into the tapioca mixture. Cool, stirring occasionally. The mixture will thicken as it cools.
5. When the tapioca mixture is cool, divide half among 4 coupe glasses. Chill the glasses and the remaining tapioca mixture.
6. Fold the cream into the remaining tapioca mixture, then pile lightly into the glasses. Serves 4.

[+/-] Readmore...

[+/-] Summary only...

Strawberry Tapioca Soda

For the strawberry juice:
1 pound strawberries, hulled and coarsely chopped or mashed
5 large basil leaves, torn
1/3 cup sugar
Juice and grated zest of 1 lemon
Juice and grated zest of 1 orange


For the tapioca:
¼ cup large tapioca pearls
3 tablespoons sugar

To assemble:
1 10-ounce can club soda, chilled
Strawberries and basil leaves, for garnishing
Strawberry sorbet, or other sorbet or ice cream.

1. For the strawberry juice: Toss together all the ingredients in a large bowl. Cover, place in a warm area and let stand for 4 hours, then chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
2. Cook the tapioca: In a medium saucepan, bring 6 cups water to a boil. Stir in the tapioca, reduce heat to a steady simmer and cook until there is only a pinpoint of white in the center of each pearl, about 1 hour. Stir occasionally to prevent the pearls from sticking to the bottom of the pan or to each other.
3. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the sugar and 1/3 cup water until the sugar has dissolved. Let cool. Drain the tapioca and rinse with cold water. Stir into the cooled syrup and chill.
4. Strain the strawberry mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing on the solids to extract the maximum amount of juice. You should have about 1 1/3 cups.
5. To assemble: strain the tapioca from the syrup and divide it among

4 tall glasses.
Add 1/3 cup strawberry juice to each glass. Divide the club soda among the glasses and gently stir to combine. Top with a scoop of sorbet and garnish with strawberries and basil leaves. Serve immediately, with a large straw or long spoon. Serves 4.

[+/-] Readmore...

[+/-] Summary only...