Yuca Chips
Yuca (or cassava) chips are the perfect Caribbean chip. In our humid Caribbean climate, most homemade vegetable chips tend to get soggy shortly after making. Yuca chips however stay perfectly crisp for a couple of days, provided they are stored in an airtight container.
To make your own chips a mandolin does come in handy. If you don’t have one you can also use a potato peeler.
Serves 4
1 cup (200g) yuca (cassava), peeled
a couple of sprigs of thyme and rosemary
a couple of unpeeled cloves of garlic
salt
vegetable oil, for frying
Preheat the oil to 350°F (175°C). Use a mandolin to thinly slice the yuca. Fry the yuca slices in the hot oil until golden and crisp, about 2 tot 3 minutes. Add the thyme, rosemary and garlic during the last minute of frying. Drain the yuca and herbs on kitchen paper and sprinkle with salt. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container.
Recipe from the book Island Vibes the Joy of Caribbean Cooking by chef Helmi Smeulders.
BIO
Chef Helmi Smeulders moved to Curaçao more than twenty years ago and is a well-known chef on the island. Modern Caribbean cuisine is at the heart of her business. She shares her passion during unique culinary experiences such as cooking classes, chef’s tables, pop-up restaurants and farmer’s dinners. Smeulders is also an international guest chef, author of two cookbooks and editor in chief of Island Vibes magazine.
