And we have come to our final World Cup inspired recipe! I only really watched the matches that Brazil and Germany played but I thought the results were astonishing, who would have thought that Spain, Italy, England and France would be out so early on in the tournament? This World Cup definitely kept me at the edge of my seat.
And to those who did not watch the matches, either because of the time difference or simple because you don’t like football we do hope that these World Cup inspired recipes gave you a little taste of how rich Brazilian cuisine is.
The ingredient to take centre stage today is once more the cassava (aka manioc or yuca), which was part of a recipe a couple of posts ago. This time however the cassava is cooked in its natural state and I think it’s a really good opportunity to get to know this root vegetable – I am talking to the cassava virgins. You never know…it might be love at first taste?!?
Last year I took my husband and my in-laws to visit Brazil. Three weeks of sun, beach, fresh coconut water, Caipirinhas, tropical juices and a whole lot of cassava chips! After the trip my German side of the family liked the cassava chips so much they went out, bought the cassava and prepared it to share it with friends. Indeed over here in Germany I have seen cassava chips in menus to accompany burgers rather than your good ol’ fries. So it’s kinda creeping up on potatoes which means you should definitely try it. And for those of you who can’t possibly have dry chips, guacamole makes for an excellent dip.
Cassava chips
1 cassava
Salt
Oil for frying
Guacamole
Guacamole
1 avocado, very ripe
1 beef tomato
1 garlic clove
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp olive oil
¼ cup spring onion
1 red chilli, without seeds
Salt and pepper to season
Method:
Method:
1. Cut both ends of the cassava (there are more tips on how to prepare it below!) and cut it into 5cm chunks. Peel it. Cut each chunk in half and then into thick cut chip shapes (around 2cm).
2. Add the cassava chips to a pan of boiling water and salt and cook for 25 minutes or until they have softened but not breaking apart. Drain and set aside.
3. Heat the oil and fry the cassava chips until golden. Place it over kitchen towels to absorb excess oil and season it with salt to taste.
4. For the guacamole, chop the tomatoes into small chunks, crush the peeled garlic clove and finely slice the spring onions and chilli. After scooping out the avocado flesh mash it on a plate using a fork or use a food processor. Combine all ingredients and season to taste.
It is a wonderfully delicious snack. The truth is the cassava chips steal the limelight from the guacamole as it has such a distinct, delicious taste and texture. I often serve it on its own, so it is up to you – dip or no dip.
A few tips about the cassava: you will often find it in Asian, Indian or Middle Eastern supermarkets. Be careful not to buy an old cassava as it takes longer to cook and it becomes very stringy. I always ask at the market for them to cut one of the ends and I always choose the one that looks the whitest on the inside and with no dark spots. Finally, when you peel it don’t be worried about getting a bit too much of the flesh off because the skin is very tough and thick.
