1 day Ago By [email protected] (Maria Scinto)
The first time I ever ate yuca (aka cassava) I was pretty dubious, but it turned out to be a case of mistaken identity. At the time, I was living on the Eastern Plains of Colorado, where I was the proud possessor of 40 acres of scrub grass and an unprepossessing plant called yucca. Despite the similar names, the two are nothing alike.
Yucca is an inedible, prickly shrub, while yuca (which I quite enjoyed) is a starchy root vegetable with a nutty, somewhat sweet flavor. If you've ever seen it in the store and wondered what to do with it, wonder no longer — it can be boiled and mashed just like potatoes. Making mashed yuca starts with one step you can't skip: peeling the tubers.
Unlike potato skin, yuca skin is, well, yucky. It's tough, thick, and contains a compound that can be toxic if consumed in excess. Once the yuca is peeled, chop it, boil it, drain it, and mash it just like you'd do to make mashed potatoes.
You can add milk, cream, butter, cheese, or whatever else you like; although you might not want to go overboard with the flavorings at first so you can taste the subtle difference that comes with using a different vegetable. Yuca makes a great potato substitute in all kinds of dishes Mashed yuca isn't the only dish you can make with this vegetable. It turns out yuca makes a great potato substitute in other dishes, as well.
The first time I ever tried this vegetable was in the form of – I seem to recall the ones I ate were somewhat sweeter than potatoes, but not quite at the level of sweet potato fries. Yuca could easily be subbed in for potatoes in our or cut in chunks, seasoned, and baked in the oven. If you're willing to experiment with fusion cuisine, you could try using this South American tuber in or as the topping for a classic British .
For a more subtle substitution, it can also take the place of potatoes in stews or soups such as our . Not only is yuca a versatile vegetable, it also has one added benefit for anyone intolerant of nightshades. Unlike potatoes, yuca is not a nightshade, so it won't trigger this allergy.
Recommended.
