Ingredients
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1 lb.Yuca, peeled and cut into large chunks
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1 lb.Sweet Potatoes, roasted but still firm
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2 ea.Small Yellow Onions, finely chopped
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4 eaGarlic Cloves, minced
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2 TTomato Paste
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½ cVegetable Stock
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2 cCooked Black-Eyed Peas
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¼ cParsley, leaves only, chopped
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¼ cRed Palm Oil or Vegetable Oil
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Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Preparation
Place the yuca in a pot and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the yuca is nearly tender for 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well and let cool until it is easy to handle. Remove and discard the string-like fibrous core. Cut the yuca into ¾-inch cubes. Cut the sweet potato into similar sized cubes.
Combine onion and garlic and cook, stirring until soft. Add the tomato paste and stock and cook until the liquid is reduced by almost half. Add yuca, black-eyed peas, and parsley, and season with 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Combine well and continue cooking, stirring from time to time, until it forms a chunky mass. Adjust the seasoning and let cool until it is easy to handle. Shape by hand into 10 to 12 thick cakes about 3 inches wide, or use ring molds. Place the cakes onto a plate, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for about 1 hour until they firm up.
Fry the cakes in palm oil over medium heat, working in batches, if necessary, until golden brown and crisp for 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Place the cakes onto a baking sheet and finish cooking in a 350°F heated oven.
Executive Chef/Owner Pierre Thiam / Teranga, New York City