Dulce de Yuca Costeño Afromestizo

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Wide clay cazuela or heavy 4-quart pot
• •Sharp heavy knife for peeling yuca and opening coconut
• •Box grater or coconut scraper
• •Wooden spoon

Instructions

1. 1

   Clean the yuca

   Cut the yuca crosswise into manageable lengths. Slice away the thick brown skin and the pinkish layer underneath until you reach clean white flesh. Split each piece lengthwise and remove the tough woody core. Do this carefully. That center fiber stays hard no matter how long you cook it, and a good dulce should not fight your teeth.

2. 2

   Simmer until tender

   Put the yuca in a wide pot and cover with fresh water by two inches. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a steady simmer and cook 25 to 35 minutes, until the pieces split slightly at the edges and a knife slides through without force. Drain well. The yuca must be tender before it meets the syrup, because piloncillo tightens the surface and slows further softening.

   Do not use raw grated yuca for this version. This is a Costa Chica dulce in pieces, not a cake, not a pudding. Cada estado, su propia cocina.
3. 3

   Build the syrup

   In a wide clay cazuela or heavy pot, combine the chopped piloncillo, 3 cups water, canela, cloves, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the piloncillo dissolves. Let it cook 10 minutes, until the syrup smells dark and warm from the canela. White sugar gives sweetness. Piloncillo gives character. Use the piloncillo.

4. 4

   Add yuca and coconut

   Add the drained yuca pieces to the syrup and spoon the liquid over them. Simmer gently for 15 minutes, turning the pieces once or twice so they stain evenly. Stir in the freshly grated coconut. The coconut will loosen the syrup at first, then thicken it as it cooks. That is the coastal pantry doing its work.

5. 5

   Cook until glossy

   Continue simmering 20 to 25 minutes, uncovered, until the syrup thickens enough to coat a spoon and the yuca looks glossy with amber edges. Shake the cazuela instead of stirring hard. Yuca breaks easily once tender, and you want generous pieces, not paste. Add the lime juice in the last two minutes to keep the sweetness from turning flat.

6. 6

   Rest and serve

   Pull out the canela sticks and cloves if you can find them. Let the dulce rest at least 30 minutes before serving, or chill it overnight. It is better when the yuca has absorbed the syrup all the way through. Serve warm or at room temperature in a dark clay dish, with extra coconut syrup spooned over the top. Recetas probadas y garantizadas.

Chef Tips

• •Buy firm, heavy yuca with no gray streaks, sour smell, or soft spots. If the cut end looks dry and black, leave it at the market. Si no conoces el mercado, no conoces la cocina.
• •Fresh coconut matters. Desiccated coconut will drink the syrup and turn scratchy. If you cannot crack and grate a coconut, look for fresh grated coconut from a Latin American or Caribbean market. That is a compromise, not an upgrade.
• •Piloncillo cones vary in intensity. Taste the syrup after the piloncillo dissolves. It should be deep and earthy, not merely sweet. Add another small piece if your cones are pale and weak.
• •This dessert has no chile because not all Mexican food is built on chile. The Costa Chica sweet pantry speaks through yuca, coconut, plantain, panela, piloncillo, and canela.

Advance Preparation

• •The dulce can be made 2 days ahead and refrigerated in its syrup. The flavor settles and the yuca becomes sweeter at the center.
• •Rewarm gently in a cazuela over low heat with 2 to 3 tablespoons water if the syrup has thickened too much.
• •Fresh coconut can be grated 1 day ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator, but it tastes best the day it is cracked.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 185g)