Yucca Thyme
I’ll always have a sweet spot for yucca. It was always present in my childhood growing up in a Latin home and cooked for many special occasions: holidays, weddings, ceremonial events, or even just for breakfast served with eggs, Dominican sausage, fried cheese, and sauteed red onions. Along with plantains, sweet potato, and potatoes, yucca is a root vegetable heavily ingrained in my upbringing.
This recipe is a mix of holiday nostalgia with a seasonal special of mashed yucca blended with thyme, rosemary, butter, and sauteed red onion. If you’re ever looking for a new root vegetable to mash other than potatoes, yucca’s got you covered.
What You’ll Need…
Equipment:
Large pot: To boil yucca
Large mixing bowl: To mash boiled yucca
Ladle: To scoop up yucca water
Measuring spoons/cups
Potato masher
Spoon
Small skillet: for sauteeing the red onions.
The Yuccas: You’ll start by adding yucca to a boiling pot of salted water. Add a palmful of salt and wait until the water is rolling under boiling temperature before setting the yucca in the pot. This is just to make sure that the water is salted perfectly. You don’t want to it too salty or too bland, otherwise your yuccas will come out tasting strange. Cook under medium heat for about 25-30 minutes. Once they’ve cooked, don’t drain all the water out. Pour some of it in a cup and set aside for later. It’s okay to leave the yucca in some of the water after its cooked, bot no more than a half hour.
Sauteed Red Onions. While your yuccas are cooking, heat oil in your skillet over medium-high heat. Throw in red onions and cook until translucent/fragrant and soft, cook for about 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for no more than a minute until they’re fragrant. Stir in white vinegar and season with oregano, salt, and pepper. The onions add an extra sour-saltiness to the mashed yucca.
Water and seasoning. Once your yuccas are soft, place them in a large mixing bowl and mash away. Stir in some of the yucca water for a creamy texture as well as some butter. Once the yuccas are soft, you can use a small spoon to stir it around. Add in thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper.
Toppings. Your yuccas should look like creamy mashed potatoes, serve in a bowl or tray and top with red onions, thyme and rosemary. Enjoy with eggs or as a side dish!
Yucca Thyme
Servings: 4 | Prep: 5 min | Cook: 35 minutes
Ingredients
12 Ounces yucca (Casava)
Kosher Sea Salt
1/2 Cup yucca water, plus more for desired creaminess
2-3 Tablespoon unsalted butter
2 Tablespoon thyme leaves
1 sprig rosemary, leaves pulled off
1/2 Cup sliced red onion
1 small garlic clove, thinly sliced
1/2 Teaspoon white vinegar
1/4 Teaspoon oregano
Ground black pepper for taste
Instructions
In a large pot of salted boiling water, add the yuccas. Cook over medium heat for about 25-30 minutes. Once they’ve cooked, don’t drain all the water out. Pour out 1 cup plus more and set aside for later.
While your yuccas are cooking, heat oil in your skillet over medium-high heat. Throw in red onions and cook until translucent/fragrant and soft, cook for about 5-6 minutes. Stir in white vinegar and season with oregano, salt, and pepper.
Once the yuccas are soft, place them in a large mixing bowl and mash away. With your ladle, pick out one scoop of yucca water and stir in for a creamy texture as well as the butter. Once the yuccas are soft, you can use a small spoon to stir it around. Add in thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper.
Serve in a bowl or tray and top with red onions, thyme and rosemary. Enjoy with eggs or as a side dish!
