Boiled Yuca (Cassava)

I'm sure you've seen this weird vegetable in your supermarket. It's a long, waxy and brown root with a rough exterior. That, my friend, is a yuca. This vegetable is part of the spurge family that is extensively cultivated as an annual crop for its edible starchy tuberous root. This root vegetable is very popular in Central and South American cooking, as well as in Caribbean cooking. After my mother married my step-father--who is from Puerto Rico-- almost 22 years ago, she started cooking the foods from his native country. And, as you've probably guessed, yuca is one of them.

There are many recipes out there for yuca, but the one I like the best is boiled yuca. After the yuca has been properly cooked, you can use it as a side dish just like boiled potatoes. The taste is something between squash and a potato combined. Please take note that once you begin to peel the yuca, place it in cold water or else it will brown immediately. Boiling the yuca takes about 45 minutes, so plan accordingly. The rind of the yuca is about 1mm thick, so make sure you peel all of it. Also, if the yuca is eaten raw, the root is poisonous and can be fatal because the digestive process produces cyanide within the body. So don't eat it raw!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 yuccas (about 8 to 11 inches long), peeled and cut into 3" slices
• 2 tbsp. salt
• Additional Salt and Pepper
• Butter

1. Bring large pot filled with water to a boil. Add the slices of yuca and the salt. Boil for 45 minutes, or until the yucca is soft all the way through. Test with a fork.
2. Drain water and serve immediately. There is a fibrous root that goes through the middle of the yuca. Make sure you remove it before eating it.
3. Add butter and additional salt and pepper to taste to the yuca and enjoy!

Boiled yuca with salt and pepper and butter.