CASSAVA SALAD

INGREDIENTS

• 2lbs cassava, peeled
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 3 eggs

SEASONINGS

• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 green onions, finely sliced
• 2-3 wiri wiri peppers or 1 small scotch bonnet or habanero
• ½ cup celery, finely sliced
• ¾ cup carrot, grated

MAYONNAISE

• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• ¼ cup neutral oil, such as avocado, grapeseed, or extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon salt, adjust to taste
• 4 teaspoons capers (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Peel cassava: Chop both ends off the cassava and discard. Now chop into smaller sizes that is easier to hold. About 3inches wide. Use a small pairing knife to make a slit through the outer rough brown skin as well as the pink layer. Use your knife to gently lift both the brown and pink skin. Now with a little more force, pull the skin completely off. Repeat for remaining pieces.
2. Chop cassava: Chop each piece in half vertically. Lay the flat side down on a cutting board and chop into 1 inch sized cubes.
3. Cook cassava: Add chopped cassava to a large pot. Fill with enough water to cover the cassava. Add 1 ½ teaspoons salt to the water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer (medium low heat). Simmer until the cassava is tender when pierced with a fork, about 22-23 minutes. Drain, and set aside leaving cassava in the colander until completely cooled.
4. Cook the eggs: While the cassava is cooling, add the eggs to a small pot, cover with water and boil for 10 mintues. Remove pot from the heat and leave eggs in the water for an additional 3 minutes. Drain water from pot leaving eggs inside. Gently shake the pot back and forth so the eggs can hit the sides, loosening up the shells. Peel eggs and rinse. Grate eggs using the larger holes of a box grater, or coarsely chop the eggs instead.
5. Chop the aromatics and vegetables: Finely slice 3 green onions, reserve a tablespoon to garnish at the end. Finely chop wiri wiri peppers or hot pepper of your choice, set aside. Finely slice celery. Wash and peel carrots. Grate carrots using the larger holes of a box grater.
6. Make the mayonnaise: In the bowl of a food processor, add the egg yolk and dijon mustard. Pulse on low for 30 seconds. With the processor still on, slowly drizzle in the oil, tiny drops at a time and let it emulsify for another 30 seconds. Add the lemon juice and salt. Continue to pulse for an additional 15 seconds. Taste and adjust the salt. Empty mayonnaise into a separate bowl. Stir in capers and set aside.
7. Assemble the salad: In a large mixing bowl, add cassava then sprinkle black pepper and salt. Use a rubber spatula to gently toss it together. Add the eggs, green onions, hot peppers, celery, and carrots. Gently toss until well combined. Pour the mayonnaise over the salad and slowly mix to completely coat the cassava. Do not put too much force in this step otherwise the cassava can turn mushy. We want the cassava to keep its shape as we toss everything together. Transfer salad into another dish with a lid. Garnish with handful of green onions. Refrgerate for 30 minutes minimum before serving.
8. Storage: Store salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

 NOTES

• You can certainly use frozen cassava to save time. Let cassava thaw a little so you can chop it into cubes. Proceed with the instructions from step 3.
• If you do not like too much celery, reduce amount to ¼ cup.
• Omit any ingredients that doesn’t suit your fancy!
• Add what you like- pickles, sweet peas, red pepper are all great additions to this salad.
• Use your favorite store-bought mayonnaise if you don’t want to make it from scratch (Alicaspepperpot)