Frituras de Yuca de Coyolillo

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Sturdy box grater or metate for the yuca
• •Clean cotton towel for squeezing the grated yuca
• •Cast iron skillet or clay cazuela suitable for frying
• •Volcanic stone molcajete for the salsa

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the yuca

   Peel the yuca with a knife, not a vegetable peeler. The skin is thick and stubborn. Cut the roots lengthwise and remove the woody center cord. Grate the yuca on the fine holes of a box grater into a wide bowl. You want wet, starchy shreds, not a smooth puree.

2. 2

   Press the masa

   Gather the grated yuca in a clean cotton towel and squeeze firmly over the sink. Do not dry it completely. Press out only the loose liquid so the mixture fries instead of splattering. The yuca should feel damp and sticky between your fingers.

3. 3

   Mix the batter

   Return the squeezed yuca to the bowl. Add the beaten eggs, grated garlic, minced onion, salt, black pepper, and cilantro. Mix with your hand until the egg disappears into the starch and the mixture holds together when pressed. If it falls apart, knead it against the side of the bowl for one more minute. The starch is the binder.

4. 4

   Shape the frituras

   Wet your hands lightly and shape the yuca mixture into small patties, about two tablespoons each and 1/2 inch thick. Keep the edges uneven. Those loose strands crisp in the lard, and that is the point.

5. 5

   Make the salsa

   Heat a dry comal over medium. Toast the chile de arbol and chile morita for a few seconds per side, just until fragrant. Roast the tomato and garlic until the tomato skin blisters and the garlic softens. Grind the chiles, tomato, garlic, salt, and a spoonful or two of water in a molcajete or blender until rough. This salsa is sharp and smoky, not sweet.

6. 6

   Heat the lard

   Melt the manteca de cerdo in a heavy skillet over medium heat. The fat should be about 1/2 inch deep. Drop in a tiny pinch of yuca mixture. It should sizzle steadily and rise, not sink and soak. If the lard is too cool, the frituras turn greasy. If it is too hot, the outside browns before the center cooks.

7. 7

   Fry until golden

   Slide in the frituras without crowding the pan. Fry 3 to 4 minutes per side, turning once, until the edges are deep golden and the centers feel firm when pressed with a spoon. Listen to the frying. At first it sounds loud because the yuca is releasing moisture. When the sound settles and the edges darken, they are close.

8. 8

   Drain and serve

   Lift the frituras onto a rack or brown paper. Salt them while the surface is still glossy from the lard. Serve warm with the chile de arbol and morita salsa and lime halves. Eat them with your fingers. This is market food, kitchen food, Coyolillo food. Así se hace y punto.

Chef Tips

• •Buy yuca that feels heavy, firm, and clean at the cut ends. Gray streaks, sour smell, or soft spots mean the root is old. Pregúntale a las señoras del mercado. They know which vendor turns over product fast.
• •Do not boil the yuca first. Boiled yuca fritters are softer and heavier. Coyolillo-style frituras depend on the grated raw starch grabbing the egg and crisping in the lard.
• •Manteca de cerdo is not decoration here. Vegetable oil will fry the fritura, yes, but it will not give the same savory edge or the same browned crust. A substitution is a compromise, not an upgrade.
• •If you cannot find chile morita, use one dried chile chipotle meco. It will be smokier and stronger, so use less. Do not turn this into a sweet tomato salsa.

Advance Preparation

• •The yuca can be peeled and held covered in cold water for up to 8 hours. Grate it close to frying time so the starch stays lively.
• •The salsa can be made one day ahead and refrigerated. Bring it to room temperature before serving so the chile flavor opens back up.
• •Frituras are best just fried. Leftovers can be reheated on a dry comal over medium-low heat until the edges crisp again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 50g)