Manioc fries are Guinea-Bissau’s answer to French fries. They are served with chicken, roast pork, and other meats and are popular in parts of Brazil, Cape Verde, and Angola. What makes these fries unusual is that they are fried in palm oil. This gives the manioc a reddish tint and a very distinct flavor.
2 pounds manioc root
1 teaspoon salt
palm oil for frying
Peel the manioc root and cut into 3-inch pieces. Place in a pot and cover with water. Add salt; bring to a boil; reduce heat and cook for 15 minutes. Remove manioc pieces from water and cool. Heat palm oil 1 inch deep in a heavy skillet. Cut manioc pieces lengthwise in half and then into wedges removing the center stem. Fry slices in heated palm oil.
Serve with drinks or as a side dish with meats and a salad.
Serves 4.
country : Guinea-Bissau
course : side dish
source : Cuisines of Portuguese Encounters : Recipes from Portugal, Madeira / Azores, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe, Angola, Mozambique, Goa, Brazil, Malacca, East Timor, and Macao / Cherie Y. Hamilton