Recipes / Yuca Fries with Garlic Mojo
Yuca Fries with Garlic Mojo
Yuca fries are denser and more satisfying than potato fries, with a crust that shatters and an interior closer to gnocchi than to a chip. The two-stage method — boil, dry, then fry — is not optional.
Ingredients
- 2 lb yuca root, peeled and cut into batons
- 1 tbsp salt for the cooking water
- Neutral oil for frying
- 6 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup sour orange juice, or 1/4 cup orange plus 1/4 cup lime
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
Instructions
- Peel the yuca completely — both the waxed skin and the pink layer under it. Cut into batons and pull out the woody core that runs down the middle.
- Cover with cold water in a pot, add salt, bring to a boil and simmer 20 to 25 minutes until fork tender but still holding together.
- Drain and let the pieces steam dry on a rack for at least ten minutes. This is the step that decides whether they crisp.
- Meanwhile, mash the garlic with salt into a paste, whisk in the citrus and cumin, then the olive oil.
- Heat frying oil to 375°F and fry in batches four to six minutes until deep golden.
- Drain, salt immediately while hot, and serve with the mojo.
Notes
Prep 15 minutes · Cook 30 minutes · Serves 6
Yuca is always peeled and fully cooked before eating — it is never served raw or undercooked. Boil it through before it ever goes near the fryer.
The boiled batons can be cooled and held refrigerated for a day, or frozen, and fried straight from cold. For a commissary or a high-volume kitchen, that is what makes yuca fries workable on a service line.
