Garlic Roasted Yuca

Photo: flickr user Dana Moos, Realtor

Ingredients

2 pounds Yuca

Water to cover, with

1 1/2 teaspoons Salt added

1 tablespoon Ground cumin

1 teaspoon Freshly-ground black pepper

1/4 pound Smoked bacon coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons Olive oil

4 Garlic cloves peeled, sliced thin

1/2 cup Bread crumbs

1/4 cup Chopped almonds

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cut the yuca into 3-inch pieces, peel off the brown skin with a sharp paring knife and discard. Cut the yuca in half and set aside in a bowl of cold water.

Fill a pot with enough cold water to cover the yuca and bring to a boil. Add the salt to the water, add the yuca to the pot and return to a boil. Cook the yuca for 15 minutes to soften. Drain and cool for several minutes before handling. With a sharp knife remove any thick fibers from the center of the yuca. Place the yuca into a vegetable roasting dish and sprinkle evenly with the cumin and the black pepper.

Cut the bacon coarsely and place in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook the bacon until the fat has been rendered and the bacon is crisp. Remove the bacon and set aside. To the bacon fat add the olive oil and warm slowly, before adding the sliced garlic. Toast the garlic to a pale golden-brown before pouring the garlic and oil over the yuca in the roasting dish. Add the cooked bacon to the yuca and, with a spoon, stir to combine evenly.

Combine the bread crumbs with the chopped nuts and sprinkle on top of the yuca. Place the dish into the oven and roast for 25 minutes or until the top is browned and crisp.

This recipe yields 4 to 6 servings.