Ditch Potatoes And Turn To Another Vegetable For Tasty Fries

We love good french fries for their tantalizing crispiness, mouthwatering saltiness, golden-brown exterior, and soft white fluffy insides. Potatoes are, of course, the star vegetable — but french fry preparation doesn't have to exclusively be for spuds only. Plenty of other vegetables can make a good fry, like parsnips, carrots, or even bright orange butternut squash. The starchier, the better, and that's why yuca fries should be on your "to-cook" list.

If yuca is not a familiar ingredient for you, this starchy root vegetable, categorized as a tuber, originates from Central and South America. It has a dark-brown woody exterior with a slight waxy sheen; when raw, the inside is hard and bright white. You might know this vegetable by another name – it is commonly called cassava, and sometimes called manihot or Brazilian arrowroot depending on the country. It's easier to find in standard grocery stores than you might expect, but international stores are a good place to check for this tuber.

Yuca is actually toxic when raw, so it is often cooked in a stew, boiled and served as a side, or made into french fries. Typically cut into thick steak frites strips, yuca fries may be listed simply as fried yuca or yuca frita on a menu, or sometimes called mogo fries or chips. Plain old ketchup is normally not the serving sauce here — try banana ketchup, aji chili sauce, or an herb-infused aioli instead.

When comparing yuca to potatoes for making french fries, there are a few key differences to be aware of. Although both tubers are hard when raw, potato tends to be a bit more forgiving; cutting yuca into chunks requires a sharp knife. Leaving the skin on is tasty on potatoes, but should be cut off on yuca due to the bitter taste. A peeler won't work here, but a sharp knife will do the trick. The core of the root should also be removed due to its woody, fibrous texture.

Like using potatoes, yuca should be boiled first to ensure that the inside of the fries is soft and creamy. The boil time is much longer, with the chunks of yuca becoming softer around the 20 to 30 minute mark, while sliced potatoes only take about 5 minutes. Once soft, the larger chunks can be cut into smaller, thick strips. 

Now, it's time to make the fries crispy; for this step, a pan, air fryer, or oven can be used, as most of us don't have a fryer on hand. For the pan, a lot of oil is needed — about two inches of vegetable oil. This ensures that the fries become super crispy, rather than dry. For the air fryer or oven, you can get away with less oil, but be generous — yuca is very starchy and absorbs oil quickly. The final product: Golden brown yuca fries that are even crispier than potato fries!