fried yuca

1 yuca root
Vegetable or canola oil for frying
Lawry’s seasoning salt or kosher salt

STEP 1
Cut the yuca root in thirds. Using a large sharp knife, cut a vertical slit down the side of each third. Using a dull knife or your fingers, push the peel away from the flesh. If the yuca is fresh, the peel will come easily off, usually in one piece. If the yuca is older, then the peel may be more difficult to get off. Be careful and take your time peeling all of the yuca.

Warning! If you see any blue or dark-colored veins in the yuca, you have to throw it away as it’s gone bad. You want yuca that is completely free of blue veins. If there are blueish/dark spots in just one small section of the flesh, you can cut that off and use the rest as long as the flesh is white.

STEP 2
Cut each yuca third in half lengthwise. There will be a “root” or long, skinny stem in the middle of the flesh; throw that away. Cut each yuca half into 4 wedges; they should be about 3- or 4-inches in length.

STEP 3
Bring a medium saucepan filled halfway with water to boil. Add a teaspoon of kosher salt and the yuca. Boil until fork-tender, about 20-25 minutes. Remove the yuca from the water and let cool slightly. It will sort of clump together, so it’s best to spread these out on a plate or half sheet pan.

STEP 4
In a cast iron skillet, add enough oil to deep fry the yuca and heat on high. Test the oil by add a tiny piece of yuca; if it sizzles immediately, the oil is ready. Fry the yuca, flipping over once, for 2-3 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with Lawry’s seasoning salt or regular kosher salt. Eat immediately!

FYI: If you don’t want to fry all of the yuca right away, you can store the boiled yuca in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for a longer period of time. Pull from the fridge or freezer and fry according to above directions. Boiled yuca is very good for breakfast topped with a fried egg, sliced avocado, and pickled red onions.

IMO: The frozen yuca you may see at the grocery store is not worth the time and money. If you are going to go through the trouble of frying, buying fresh is always the way to go.