Recipe: Mashed Yuca with Garlic Chive Butter and Heart of Palm

MASHED YUCA WITH GARLIC CHIVE BUTTER AND HEART OF PALM

"Delicious as a side with grilled meats or seafood, roasted chicken or snapper, and vegetables."

FOR THE GARLIC CHIVE BUTTER:
Butter
4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup freshly snipped chives
FOR THE YUCA:
4 pounds fresh yuca or 3 pounds of frozen chunks
1 to 2-1/4 cups hot milk
4 tablespoons garlic chive butter
4 to 5 stalks of canned heart of palm, drained and sliced into rounds
1 tablespoon lime juice
Salt and pepper

Roast garlic in a dry, medium hot skillet until charred and soft. Peel and mash. Beat mashed garlic into soft butter with chives. (This can be made several days ahead, wrapped in plastic and refrigerated until needed.)

Trim ends from fresh yuca and peel, removing all waxy brown skin and the pinkish layer underneath. Cut yuca into 3 inch slices.

Place prepared or frozen yuca in salted water to cover by 2 inches. Boil until tender and starting to fall apart, 50 minutes to an hour. Drain and transfer to a cutting board. Carefully halve hot yuca pieces lengthwise arid remove woody cores.

Return yuca to pot with 1 1/3 cups hot milk, butter, lime juice, and salt and pepper. Mash, adding additional milk if mixture is too dry. Gently fold in sliced heart of palm. Serve immediately, as yuca hardens as it cools.

Makes: 4 to 6 servings
Source: Latin and Caribbean Grocery Stores Demystified by Linda Bladholm