This Yuca en Escabeche recipe is creamy, smooth, and garlicky but more importantly, is super tender. It has a subtle pickled taste that goes perfectly with almost anything.
What is Yuca en Escabeche?
Yuca en Escabeche is made with cassava or yuca as is called in Spanish in many countries. It is boiled until is perfectly tender and then mixed with the escabeche part which is made with sauteed garlic, onion, peppers, and vinegar.
If you wonder what cassava is? It is a root vegetable that is very similar to a potato in taste and texture. It is creamy and smooth when boiled but with a nutty taste.
Escabeche in Puerto Rico
We make many escabeche recipes in Puerto Rican cuisine. We make pollo en escabeche, guineitos en escabeche, and escabeche de yuca. You often see it sold in places where they sell pollo asado entero.
My favorite place is called Anibal’s BBQ in Toa Alta, Puerto Rico just in case you visit the island. Also, please order a side of their tostones, they’re amazing!
When I make this recipe I like to serve with rice and beans, rice with corn, or any rice to mix it with the liquid. It is great to serve with fried pork chops or pork chunks.
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Ingredients
You’ll be happy to know that Yuca is fairly easy to get in many supermarkets. Sometimes it is also called cassava but it means the same thing. Sometimes they’ll have it frozen or fresh. You can also find it in Latin or Asian stores.
- Salt– the tablespoon of salt here is used to season the water. Just like you will do if you are cooking pasta. I feel like this gives the yuca a better taste from the inside out.
- Yuca– I used 1 pound of fresh yuca. You can also use frozen and save time because it comes peeled and cut.
- Oil– I used ¾ cups of vegetable oil because I like that it has a very neutral taste. But you can use olive oil if you like the taste.
- Onion– I used ½ of a small yellow onion but you can use white or red onion.
- Red and Green pepper– I used ¼ of each. Substitution: use the same quantity of pimiento morron for red pepper and cubanele pepper for green pepper.
- Bay leaves & peppercorns– I used 3 leaves and half teaspoons of peppercorn for flavor but I don’t eat them.
- Garlic and Onion powder– 1 teaspoon of garlic powder and half of a teaspoon of onion powder are used to give a nice flavor to the dish.
- Garlic paste– I used ½ tablespoon of freshly minced garlic paste. I like to add the garlic in a paste and not slices because it gives the dish a prominent taste of garlic.
- Vinegar– white vinegar is a key flavor in this recipe. I added ¼ cup of vinegar because I like a smooth subtle vinegar taste. You can add ¼ cup more if you like a strong vinegar taste.
Should I use fresh or frozen yuca?
You can use whichever type you can get in the grocery store. I have used both and found that there is no difference in taste between the two. Not like if you were making yuca chips or fried yuca, then you’ll need fresh vegetables.
How to make Yuca en Escabeche
Step 1: Peeling the yuca- two ways
- In method one, you chop off the ends and cut them into 3-inch-long pieces. Then make a line going down the middle and carefully lift the skin with the knife. The skin should come off easily.
- In method two, you cut the ends off and remove the skin with a vegetable peeler. Peel like you would a potato.
- Step 2: In a large pot add the water, salt, and yuca over high heat. Cover and cook for 30 minutes and drain. Test the tenderness by inserting a fork into a piece of yuca. Sometimes it may take a little longer to make depending on thickness.
- Step 3: Once the yuca is cooked, remove the woody root in the middle. This step you can do before cooking or after.
- Step 4: Cut the vegetables into ¼ inch strips. In reality, you can cut the vegetables any way you like to present them. It doesn’t make much of a difference since we only sautee them not cook them all the way thru.
- Step 5: In a medium pan add the oil, onions, peppers, bay leaves, garlic, and onion powder. You need to saute for 2 minutes. Stir to prevent the veggies from burning. Turn off the heat, add the garlic, and vinegar, and stir.
⭐️ Tip: I add the garlic once the heat is off to avoid burning it.
Step 6: Now this step you can do it in 2 ways. You can add the yuca to the pan and mix everything like I did. Or you can pour the escabeche over your yuca.
Recipe Tips
- When buying fresh yuca you have to keep in mind the weight of the skin. Always buy ¼ of a pound more to account for the skin.
- Even though the yuca may not be tender all the way, you don’t want to cook it for too long. This is because it will be very mushy. It will still be delicious but it won’t hold its shape.
Variations
- An escabeche has a base of oil and vinegar but you can add many things to make different variations. You can add different herbs like thyme or rosemary.
- You can also make this a Spanish-style escabeche and add the same quantity of vinegar to white wine and carrots.
Storing and reheating
- Store- no more than 5 days in the fridge and 3 months in the freezer. Use a glass container or a bowl you can dispose of. This is because the escabeche leaves a strong smell that you won’t be able to remove from plastic easily.
- Reheat- in a pan with the lid on over medium heat for about 6 minutes. You can also use the microwave and heat it a minute at a time and stir each time.
How to Serve?
You can serve yuca on the side of any meat like fried chicken or chicharron de pollo. It can also be served as another side next to rib rice, arroz con gandules, or an arroz a la jardinera.
Frequently asked questions
You will know is cooked because it turns translucent when cooked and it will be fork tender.
Escabeche is a zesty marinade made with a base of oil and vinegar. It has been used as a method of food preservation but also used as a marinade for vegetables and meats.
More delicious sides
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Yuca en Escabeche
Ingredients
- 8 cups water
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 ¼ pound yuca/cassava
- ½ small onion
- ¼ green pepper
- ¼ red pepper
- ¾ cup oil
- ½ teaspoon whole black peppercorn
- 3 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic paste
- ¼ cup vinegar
Instructions
The Yuca
- Peel and rinse the yuca. Cut it to about 3 to 4 inches long. If you are using frozen yuca then you can skip this step.
- Add water and salt to a large pan over high heat. Add the yuca, and cook covered for 30 minutes. Check for tenderness with a fork. Drain and set aside.
The Escabeche
- While the yuca cooks cut the red and green peppers into ¼-inch thick long strips. Cut the onion in the same way. In a medium size pan, add oil, black pepper, bay leaves, peppers, onion , garlic and onion powder. Cook for 2 minutes and stir a couple of times. Turn off the heat and mix in the garlic and the vinegar.
- Add the yuca to the pan with the escabeche. Mix it until all the yuca is covered in the mix. Serve and enjoy.
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