roasted yuca

Recipe: Roasted Yuca with Spanish smoked paprika

I had some great yuca at Salsa Latina last week. So good that I couldn't stop thinking about it for days. I decided to give it a try. Mine wasn't as good as theirs, but it wasn't a bad first try.

This is one of those dishes that tastes best eaten standing in front of the stove and picking the pieces off the baking sheet just after tray has come out of the oven. Yeah, you burn your fingers a little, but it is worth it.

Also, the yuca needed mojo, or something else as a dip. Ah well, next time.

Here is a recipe for mojo if you want to try that.

Here is the recipe. (It is a work in progress.)

Roasted Yuca with Spanish smoked paprika

Ingredients:

Five three-inch pieces of yuca, peeled
1 - 1 ½ teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika
2 teaspoons adobo
Olive oil

Instructions:

Boil water in a large pot. Add yuca and boil gently until just tender, not mushy

Drain the yuca and cut the pieces into 1-inch chunks

Preheat oven to 400.

In a large bowl, toss the yuca with enough olive oil to coat it thoroughly. Sprinkle on the paprika and the adobo. Toss until the pieces are well coated. Taste a little piece off the edge of one of the chunks. Adjust seasoning if needed. Add more adobo first. You want to be able to taste the salt. Don’t go crazy with the paprika, a little goes a looooong way.

Spread yucca out on a baking sheet, non-stick or rubbed with a little oil. Make sure it is all in one layer and not crammed in.

Put in the oven and roast for about 15 minutes. Check the pieces, and turn when the bottom side is browned. Roast again until the edges of the pieces are nicely browned and crispy.

Serve immediately.

posted May 1, 2009 | link | comments (7)

filed under: Recipes

AllOverAlbany.com

Comments

I once worked for a Roman couple who both grew up in Brazil and they used to make deep fried yucca for me. So delicious. I thought the yucca at the Dominican place was a bit too bland so I'm looking forward to trying Salsa Latina's.

The one time I tried making it at home I got really frustrated with peeling off the waxy skin. Any tips?

- by jess on May 4, 2009 at 12:46 PM | link

The easiest way around that is to buy the bags of frozen yuca in the Goya freezer section at the Westgate Price Chopper. The pieces are already peeled.

- by celinabean on May 4, 2009 at 3:20 PM | link

Oh, and regarding the yuca at Salsa Latina...

They have the "bland" kind too, which is what you get if you just order yuca as a side dish. It is, basically, a plate of yuca strips. But if you get the sample patter the yuca bits on that are wonderful and very nicely seasoned.

- by celinabean on May 4, 2009 at 3:23 PM | link

And yet again thank you once more Celina for turning us on to another great local eatery. We went to Salsa Latina last night and it was fabulous. AND almost right next to CCK which is still on our To Do List. Also, you are revolutionizing my kitchen and my cooking. Keep 'em coming!

- by Leslie on May 5, 2009 at 8:28 AM | link

Dominican place? I'm from Brooklyn and I long for Spanish food made by Dominicans and Puerto Ricans...Where do I go? I had no idea I could get any of that in this area. I assumed there must be Hispanic places in the area but I haven't heard anyone talk about them.

Care to share? :)

- by Jennifer on May 5, 2009 at 10:16 AM | link

Jennifer, the place I tried is Casa Dominicana. I don't think I ordered the right things that time but I definitely want to go back and try more stuff.

The vegetarian options are lacking, so it's not the best place to take your pseudo-vegetarian brother I discovered. However, I liked the mofongos and I want to try some of the goat options.

- by jess on May 7, 2009 at 3:07 PM | link

Thanks Jess :)

It sounds like this place gets really mixed reviews. I think I'm going to have to put on my big girl pants and just try it myself.

- by Jennifer on May 7, 2009 at 10:13 PM | link

Say Something!

I'd very much like you to join the conversation. The only rule: treat everyone else in the conversation with kindness and respect. Comments are moderated so it might take a little while for your comment to show up. Thanks!