Yuca fries
These yuca fries are wonderfully crisp and perfect for dipping!
Servings: 3 approx
Calories: 439kcal
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Ingredients
- 19 oz yuca approx (this gives 15oz-1lb/425-450g peeled and trimmed weight)
- ½ teaspoon salt approx, to taste
- 1.5 - 2 cups vegetable oil approx - to make a layer deep enough in skillet/frying pan
- aji verde, Peruvian green sauce to serve, or sauce of own choice
Instructions
- Trim the ends off the yuca root and cut it into approximately 3-4 lengths of similar length. Take care and use a sharp knife as it can be difficult to cut.
- Score through the skin up and down (so from one cut edge to the other) just enough to break the skin rather than cut into the main root. Then using either the knife or your fingers, open up the skin and peel it off. There should be two layers of skin you want to remove - the thin outer dark layer and a slightly thicker white layer. They should both come off easily together after scoring through, but if needed, use a vegetable peeler to remove any still left.
- Place the peeled chunks of yuca into a pot large enough to hold them all in a layer. Fill the pot with cold water so the yuca pieces are completely submerged.
- Add some salt to the water, cover then place over a medium heat to bring to a boil. Once boiling, simmer for approximately 20 - 30 minutes until the yuca is tender. The middle of the root will open up and the pieces may break open a little which is fine and a sign it is cooked.
- Remove the pieces from the water and let them cool a minute or two until cool enough to handle. Then cut the pieces in half and remove the inner tough core.
- Cut the main root into strips - you can split as they naturally break then cut further as needed. You can make them whatever thickness suits - thicker will have more soft middle relative to the crisp outside after frying, thinner will be more crisp throughout. Leave the pieces to cool to room temperature and dry a little more.
- Fill a small-medium skillet/frying pan with oil to create a layer around 1in/2.5cm. You want it deep enough so that the yuca pieces can be submerged when you add them (though they will tend to float up). Warm the oil over a medium-high heat until warm but not starting to smoke.
- Add a few pieces of yuca to the oil so that you don't have huge spaces between pieces but also don't overcrowd the pan. Fry the yuca pieces in batches like this, turning once for around 3 - 5 minutes per side until they are golden and crisp. Remove the cooked fries from the oil using a slotted spoon and drain them on kitchen paper/paper towel. Repeat with rest of yuca pieces.
- Serve ideally warm, freshly cooked (although room temperature works) with aji verde or your choice of dipping sauce.
Video
Notes
Nutritional values are approximate and exclude any sauce.
You can use any neutral oil for frying that has a high smoke point, such as vegetable, canola or avocado oil.
Nutrition
Calories: 439kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 407mg | Potassium: 384mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 18IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg