BAKED YUCA FRIES (CASSAVA FRIES)

Baked yuca fries are golden and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. They’re a healthier way to make yuca fries and served up with cilantro lime mayonnaise.

Today’s yuca fries are inspired by Latin America 

So what exactly is yuca? It’s a brown, oblong root vegetable that let’s be honest, has a little bit of a PR problem in the veggie aisle. It’s not the prettiest and when you purchase it in the US, it usually has a thick, waxy coating. But this coating is to protect and preserve the tuber. Good news though, it easily peels off just like a potato.

Yuca is pronounced YOU-ka. Not to be confused with yucca, pronounced YUCK-a. Markets in the US typically misspell yuca for yucca, but yucca is a tall, spiky ornamental plant grown in the Southwest US. And not something you want to be eating.

Because yuca is a starchy tuber, it can be used similarly to potatoes in many recipes. Translation: swap french fries for delicious yuca fries.

yuca fries preparations

• 2 yuca (cassava)

• 1 tbsp avocado oil

• pinch of sea salt

cilantro lime mayonnaise

• 1/2 cup (packed) fresh cilantro leaves

• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice

• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

• 1 garlic clove

• 1 cup mayonnaise

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees fahrenheit and bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

2. Use a vegetable peeler to peel the outside waxy layer from the yuca (just as you would a potato).

3. If the yuca is long, slice it in half, then slice into 1/2″-3/4″ fries or batons.

4. Add the fries to the boiling water and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the edges start to fray and they’re fork tender.

5. Drain the fries and place in a large bowl. Drizzle them with avocado oil and sea salt and toss to coat.

6. Lay the fries in a single layer on a baking tray and cook in the oven for 30-35 minutes, flipping halfway through.

7. While the fries are cooking, make the cilantro lime mayonnaise. Add all of the ingredients except the mayonnaise to a small food processor and blend until finely chopped. Then add the mayonnaise and pulse a couple of times to combine.

8. Serve the yuca fries immediately with the cilantro lime mayonnaise.

Source:downshiftology.com