Light & Crispy Yuca Fries Recipe

2/20/2016 *Sara-Marie* 1 Comments

You want to make these yuca fries. Like now. Fresh yuca (not to be confused with yucca) can be a bit intimidating at first, but this life is all about conquering fears and stepping into the unknown. So, let's get started.

You can find fresh yuca in the produce section of your local supermarket, probably near other vegetables popular in Latino cuisine, like plantains and batatas. They have a dark, waxy skin and should be pretty inexpensive per pound. Be sure to pick yucas that are firm (no squishy parts) and are uniform in shape to help the peeling process.

Once home, unless you have a really good vegetable peeler, it is a little hard to get through that tough, wazy skin. What I have been doing lately is scoring the yuca, diagonally across and all around, and then from the top, peeling the thick layer of skin off. If you follow me on Instagram, I posted a short video on how it works.



It's not a perfect process, but once you get it going, it saves a lot of time and effort and you're left with a pretty piece of yuca. You can also buy already peeled yuca in the frozen section (with the other Goya products), but you're going to pay a premium.

Once you have that baby peeled, cut into large chunks, and you're ready to start this recipe for the most delicious, crispy, and perfect yuca fries in all the land.


LIGHT & CRISPY YUCA FRIES RECIPE

Recipe Ingredients

1 large yuca, peeled and chopped into large chunks
water for boiling
sea salt
2 bay leaves
oil, for frying (avocado oil is our preference)
Homemade Adobo for seasoning

Recipe Directions

1. Peel the yuca as described above and cut into large chunks.
2. Put the yuca in a large pot, cover with cold water, add a few pinches of salt and 2 bay leaves, and bring to a boil. Boil for about 30 minutes.
3. Carefully, remove the yuca from the pot and let cool.
4. Again, carefully cut the boiled yuca into fry shapes. Wedge shape works pretty well.
5. Heat a heavy bottomed skillet (like a cast iron) over medium heat, and add a thin layer of avocado oil (or cooking fat of choice).
6. Once the oil is glistening, using tongs, carefully place the yuca fries into the hot oil, working in batches and not overcrowding the pan.
7. Pan fry the yuca until golden brown on both sides, about 2-3 minutes a side.
8. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and season with a few pinches of Adobo.
9. Enjoy!  

Note: If you feel as though this is too labor intensive to do all in one sitting, feel free to complete steps 1-3 during a meal prep session and store in a glass container in the fridge. Once you're ready to make the fries, pull out of the fridge and continue with steps 4-9!

XOXO,
SMP