I struggled with the headline for today’s column. I was playing around with the inspiration for the dish – Butter Cassava – and then I also considered Buttery Cassava. Both seemed not quite right so I opted for Cassava with Butter because it is truer to what the dish is about. Regardless of the name, this is the type of dish that is always a winner for all cassava (yuca) loving people like me, and hopefully you. Boil ‘n Fry anyone?
So let me clarify about the name before we get to the actual dish. Butter Cassava is a Trinbagonian dish of cassava cooked with lots of butter, aromatics and fresh herbs. The finished dish is thick and creamy with big chunks of cassava; having been cooked until it almost melts. It is damn delicious! My dish looks nothing like that so I didn’t want to falsely advertise. Thinking of the title Buttery Cassava conjured images of melted, mashed cassava, and while the cassava in my dish are soft, as you can see, I did not cook them until melted nor did I mash them. Again, I did not want to misrepresent, hence Cassava with Butter.
There are 3 vendors from whom I buy cassava at the market. I have been buying from them for years and I am never disappointed with the quality. And the bonus is that they grow the cassava themselves. I bought some from one of them last week and immediately knew that a boil ‘n fry was in the making. Listen, I like boil ‘n fry ground provisions but you see boil ‘n fry cassava in particular? You can give me that any day of the week and twice on Sundays, without any accompaniments.
There are various ways of cooking Trini Butter Cassava. Some people sauté the aromatics in butter then add the raw cassava along with stock, water or coconut milk and cook everything until soft, melting and thick. Others cook it by boiling the cassava first then sautéing it with butter and herbs, which is more like a boil ‘n fry, only that it is cooked with a generous amount of butter along with the local Golden Ray Margarine for its signature colour and flavour. In Guyana it’s Golden Cream and here in Barbados it is Mello-Kreem – local margarines/ spreads that give certain dishes their special local flavour and colour.
I opted to fry/sauté my cassava with butter instead of margarine. The truth is that I only use butter whether cooking, baking, spreading. I have nothing against margarine, I just prefer butter and its flavour. With that in mind, I set about cooking.
Now you may think, what is the big deal, the deal is the flavour of the butter with the cassava and the added touch of finishing the dish off with a little brown butter that puts it over the top. Another key factor here is the very few aromatics used so that they enhance rather than overpower the flavour of the dish. When making boil ‘n fry, in addition to onions, garlic and hot peppers, we tend to put things like tomatoes, celery and thyme too. Not so with this dish, you want it simple, I used only scallions (green onions) and hot peppers. And of course, butter!
So here’s what to do.
● Peel, chop and boil the cassava as you normally would and cook it in salted water until soft.
● Meanwhile, cut up the scallions/green onions. Now, separate the top of the scallions, the white/purple parts from the green parts. Finely mince the hot peppers and set aside.
● Salted or unsalted butter can be used for this recipe, however, remember that not all salted butter are created equal, some have more salt that others so taste and adjust to suit before salting the boiling water for the cassava.
● The amount of butter you will use is entirely up to you based on the amount of cassava but remember this is cassava with butter.
● Topping the finished dish with brown butter is optional and not necessary. I decided to do it on a whim. It adds another layer of flavour to the dish. I’ll tell you how to make it shortly.
DIRECTIONS
1. Drain the cooked cassava and set aside.
2. In a large frying pan, add butter along with the white/purple heads of the scallions and place over medium heat until the butter melts and just as it starts to froth, add the hot cooked cassava along with the green parts of the scallion and peppers and toss well to coat and mix. Let cook together for 2 to 3 minutes before shutting off the heat and serving. If you would like to add brown butter, then melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a small pan until the butter froths and starts to get tan/lightly brown. Shut off the heat immediately and pour over the cassava, give it a toss, then serve.
Try it and tell me. You will see that this is not your usual boil ‘n fry cassava.
Cynthia
cynthia@tasteslikehome.org
