Fried Yuca with Peruvian Cheese Sauce

ingredients

• sauce
• 1/2 pound Mexican queso fresco or mild feta cheese, broken into small pieces
• 1/2 cup half-and-half
• 4 1/2 teaspoons bottled ajì, amarillo puré,e (available at kitchenmarket.com)
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and smashed
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
•  ,
• yuca
• 2 pounds fresh yuca (cassava) or 1 1/2 pounds frozen peeled yuca (not thawed)
• About 1 1/2 quarts vegetable oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
•  ,
• Special equipment: a deep-fat thermometer
• Garnish: fresh lime wedges (preferably Key limes)

directions

Make sauce: Pulse together sauce ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

Fry yuca: If using fresh yuca, trim ends and cut crosswise into 3 inch pieces, then peel, removing waxy brown skin and pinkish layer underneath.

Cover yuca (fresh or frozen) with cold salted water by 1 inch in a 1 gallon pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until yuca is tender when pierced with a wooden skewer, 18 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to several layers of paper towels to drain, then cool 5 minutes. Cut yuca lengthwise into 0.125 inch-wide wedges, discarding thin woody core. (If there are pieces that have white parts to them, return them to barely simmering water and simmer until almost translucent.)

Heat about 1.5 inches oil in a 4- to 1 1/4 gallons heavy pot over moderate heat until it registers 360 degrees on thermometer.

Fry yuca in 3 batches, turning occasionally, until golden, 4 minutes per batch. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. (Return oil to 360 degrees between batches.) Sprinkle fries with salt and serve with cheese sauce.

Cooks' Notes:

Sauce made with queso fresco will be very thick. Thin with additional half-and-half if desired.

Sauce can be made 1 day ahead and chilled in a bowl, covered. Bring to room temperature, then stir before serving.