yucca

Yucca is also known as cassava, and manioc. It is the source of tapioca. It is a South American root vegetable. I find it in the local farmer's market, but lots of supermarkets carry it. It stars on Pesach as a good substitute to potatoes.

In a nutshell, you can replace some (or all) of the potatoes with yucca. Since it is large, I substitute one yucca root for 3-4 potatoes in the recipes. I tried it in potato kugel and in latkes, which are a perfect erev Pesach food, in that twilight zone between no chametz and no matzah. Yucca makes things crispier, in other words, more likely to be eaten by kids.

Here are the recipes that I use, but any old latke or potato kugel recipe will work.

Potato kugel (adapted from Kosher by Design)

1 yucca, peeled and chunked

4 potatoes, peeled and chunked

1-2 onions, peeled and chunked

5 eggs

2 T potato starch

1 T salt

1 t pepper

2 T sugar

1/2 cup oil

Preheat oven to 375, pour oil into baking pan and preheat. Watch it so it does not sizzle.

In a food processor, puree yucca, potatoes and onions until almost smooth. Pour into a mixing bowl, add eggs (I know they suggest beating them beforehand, but you do not have to, just mix them in well). Then add potato starch, salt, pepper and sugar, mix. Take the pan with oil out of the oven, stir in some of the oil into the patter and pour it all back into the pan. Bake for an hour. Time may vary depending on how thick your kugel is. It will brown on top when ready.

Latkes

1 yucca, peeled and chunked

1 potato

1 onion

3 eggs

salt and pepper

2 T potato starch or matzo meal

Grate yucca and potato on a fine grater, or puree in food processor. Then grate in an onion. Take a few paper towels and wrap around the grated mass, to get as much liquid out as possible. Then add eggs (again, no need to beat beforehand, just mix them well), salt, pepper, and starch. Mix the whole batter. Take a few paper towels, fold them, and stick them on the side of the mixing bowl; they will wick up extra liquid which is invariably there.

Heat a frying pan, add oil (I like olive oil), add by heaping spoonfuls, fry for a couple minutes per side. Don't be stingy with oil, and use medium heat. When done, flip latkes on a paper towel-lined plate.

Yum! Now I wish I had some yucca...

Oh, and you can sub it instead of potatoes in your cholent ( Pesach or year-round), nobody will know.