Yucca, a staple in Latin America and very much an obsession for us from the Dominican Republic. We normally boil yucca and serve with either fried eggs, fried salami or fried cheese. I know, I know… you are thinking “OMG, everything is fried!”. Hahahaha, we do love fried foods. But here, I wanted to show you a variation of preparing yucca. One that is perfect as an appetizer or snack if you refrigerate and heat as you wish.
Yucca is one of those vegetables that are a bit difficult to peel but because I have been peeling them since I was a young girl, it comes easy to me. Watch the video below and I show you exactly how I do it.
Can I prep yucca ahead of time?
After peeling the yucca, you can cut into sections, then into strips, place in a ziploc bag and freeze up to 3 months. When you are ready to cook, simply boil and bake them as per the recipe directions.
Where can I find yucca?
In my area there is no yucca at my local supermarket so when I want it, I go to the nearest Latin market or Asian market. They always have them there. And that also includes green and yellow plantains. Another staple of ours.
You can also find them at those markets in the frozen section already peeled, cut in large chunks and ready to boil. That frozen option is almost just as good as fresh, just a bit drier.
If you are cooking from packaged “store bought” frozen, while frozen, boil, cool and cut into strips. Then proceed with seasoning and baking as directed in recipe directions.
One cool note about Yucca
Yucca contains chemicals that might help reduce high blood pressure and high cholesterol. It might also reduce arthritis symptoms such as pain, swelling, and stiffness.
Baked Yucca Fries
Ingredients
For the yucca
- 1 large yucca root or frozen (look at notes for more info)
- 1/2 tsp salt for boiling yucca
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic minced
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp parsley, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
For the dipping sauce
- 1 tsp garlic minced
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
Instructions
Making the yucca
- Peel the yucca and cut in half. Depending on the yuca length you may want to cut into two to three pieces. Then cut each piece in half and continue to cut into strips that are about 1 inch thick or a bit thicker.
- In a large pot, place enough water to cover the yucca slices. Add the yucca and about 1/2 tsp salt.
- Boil for about 15 minutes on medium-high heat, covered.
- Once yucca is ready, place on a sheet pan. Remove the hard vein that you’ll see in some of the yucca slices.
- Allow the yucca to rest, cool for a few minutes.
- Once cooled, coat the with the olive oil, then sprinkle with the spices. Make sure they are well coated and spread out.
- Bake at 425º degrees for 40 minutes or until they are golden, flipping them halfway through.
Make the Dip (while yucca bakes)
- In a bowl, mix all the ingredients and use as a dipping sauce.
- Simple right? 😉
Video
Notes
After peeling the yucca, you can cut into sections, then into strips, place in a ziploc bag and freeze up to 3 months. When you are ready to cook, simply boil and bake them as per the recipe directions. Where can I find yucca? In my area there is no yucca at my local supermarket so when I want it, I go to the nearest Latin market or Asian market. They always have them there.
You can also find them at those markets in the frozen section already peeled, cut in large chunks and ready to boil. That frozen option is almost just as good as fresh, just a bit drier. If you are cooking from packaged “store bought” frozen, while frozen, boil, cool and cut into strips. Then proceed with seasoning and baking as directed in recipe directions.
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