Saturday, August 23, 2008

Yucca stew - Grow Your Own 1st anniversary

I say manioc (cassava), you say yucca. Many people have tried yucca without even knowing it, like when you use tapioca flour... does this ring a bell?

This entry celebrates Grow Your Own's first anniversary! Congratulations Andrea! Thank you for planting the seed of friendship with your event!

This is a simple recipe for chilly nights. I had some yucca in the freezer from the family farm and I added harissa, the Tunisian spice blend, to the stew to spice it up.

Harissa has the power to turn an ordinary dish into a gourmet dish!

Yucca stew
  • Peel and strip the yucca root before cooking (remove the long stringy fibers in the middle)
  • Cut into chunks and cook it in water until soft (it can take from 20 minutes to over one hour, use a pressure cooker if you have one)
3 pounds (1.5 kg) cooked yucca, smashed
10 to 12 cups water or vegetable stock
1 teaspoon salt (omit the salt if using stock)
1 large onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 oz bacon, cooked, lightly browned
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon canola oil
1/2 teaspoon harissa (or any pepper)
2 cups watercress, chopped (or kale)

1) Sauté onion and garlic in oil and olive oil. Add smashed yucca, water (or stock), salt and harissa. Bring to a boil, then simmer until stew is thickened. Using an immersion hand blender (or a blender), puree stew until smooth.

2) Towards the end, add the watercress and the cooked bacon, turn off heat and cover for a few minutes before serving. Serve warm.
  • This recipe can be adapted for the slow cooker.
Yucca plantation

You can check all the entries for the 1st anniversary here.

7 comments:

Andrea Meyers said...

Now that sounds good! I bet the harissa really adds some great flavor. I wish I had the climate to grow yuca. Thanks so much for supporting Grow Your Own!

Anonymous said...

What a lovely food blog you have. I love cassava. You have a lot of wonderful recipes here. Awesome!

Paz (who likes your photo blog, too)

Laural Out Loud said...

That sounds a lot like how we make potato soup. It sounds delicious! I'll give it a try the next time I see yucca at the store (it's not always available).

My husband is Brasilian, and we plan to move there some day (hopefully within the next five years, but we'll see). His grandmother pulls yucca from her garden, and I can't wait to do the same!

Napa Farmhouse 1885 said...

thanks so much for the comments you left on my site..let me know if you try the chocolate corn cake..your recipes look delicious..i have marked a number to try..but i am starting with your carrot cake..yum!!
best,
diane

Anonymous said...

This sounds so fresh and delicious. I love making savory food, but I've yet to use yucca! Very inspiring :).

We'd like to invite you to participate in our September apple and peach recipe contest (the recipe can be sweet or savory). All competitors will be eligible to win one of three prizes; the first place winner will win a cookbook of their recipes :)! Please email me, sophiekiblogger@gmail.com, if you're interested.

Feel free to check out our blog for more details: http://blog.keyingredient.com/2008/08/29/september-kick-contest/

Thanks :),
Sophie
KI Chief Blogger

Toan said...

Where can I buy the plant and grow it in my garden? I cannot grow it from the root bought from the store because it has the wax on it.

Cris said...

Hi Toan... you should probably consult a plant garden to find out how to grow cassava in pots or small beds in your garden. Weather influences their growth, if you live in hot areas you may be successful. You need to plant the sticks or stems of the cassava plant. Make sure you are getting the right species, some are toxic.