RED SNAPPER YUCA CAKES WITH MOJO DE AJO

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Red Snapper Yuca Cakes with Mojo de Ajo image

Provided by Steve Johnson

Categories     Fish     Sauté     Lime     Orange     Snapper     Hot Pepper     Healthy     Yuca     Gourmet

Yield Makes 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 19

For red snapper yuca cakes
1 1/2 pounds frozen yuca*
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 medium onion, halved lengthwise then thinly sliced lengthwise
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pounds red snapper fillets, skinned and any bones removed
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
For mojo de ajo
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup fresh orange juice (from 2 oranges)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)
6 fresh Thai chiles (red or green), seeded and minced, or 2 to 3 serrano chiles (including seeds), minced
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallot (4 small)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Accompaniment: lime wedges

Steps:

  • Make cakes:
  • Simmer yuca in boiling salted water until fork-tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Drain yuca and transfer to a large bowl, then cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
  • While yuca is cooling, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté onion with cumin and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon cayenne over fish and add to onion in skillet, then sauté, turning fish over once, until just cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer fish with onion to a plate and cool to room temperature.
  • Remove thin, fibrous core from yuca if necessary, then coarsely mash yuca with a wooden spoon. Flake fish and add to yuca along with onion and herbs, tossing to combine (mixture will be coarse). Form into 12 (2 1/2-inch) cakes (1 inch thick) and transfer to a wax-paper-lined tray. Cover cakes with plastic wrap and chill 30 minutes.
  • Make mojo while cakes chill:
  • Cook garlic in oil in a small skillet over low heat, stirring, until just softened, about 3 minutes. Transfer garlic with oil to a small bowl and stir in remaining mojo ingredients. Chill mojo, covered, until serving.
  • Sauté cakes:
  • Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil over moderately high heat in a 12-inch heavy skillet (preferably nonstick) until hot but not smoking, then sauté half of cakes, turning over once, until browned and heated through, about 8 minutes total. Sauté remaining cakes in remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil. Serve with mojo and lime wedges.
  • *Available at Latino markets and some supermarkets.

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