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Enyucado
Enyucado: moist Caribbean cake of grated cassava, coconut, aniseed and salty cheese
Bakeries and street vendors in Cartagena, Barranquilla and Montería sell enyucado by the square, wrapped in paper, as an afternoon sweet with coffee. It is a dense, moist cassava cake held together by coconut milk, sweetened with sugar, scented with aniseed and given a salty edge by grated white cheese; the top bakes to a golden, slightly chewy crust while the middle stays soft and pudding-like. It is also a fixture at birthday and holiday tables along the coast. Queso costeño is the cheese used; a firm feta-style one is the nearest swap, and as both are usually set with animal rennet, choose a vegetarian (microbial-rennet) cheese. People most often go wrong by cutting it warm: the starch needs at least an hour to set, otherwise the slices are gummy and fall apart. Frozen grated cassava from Latin or African shops saves a lot of work. Chef's tip: squeeze the grated cassava lightly so the cake sets well but stays moist.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 20 x 30 cm baking dish.
Step 2: Put the grated 2 ¼ lb fresh cassava (yuca) in a clean tea towel and squeeze gently, just enough to remove the loose juice.
Step 3: In a large bowl, mix the cassava with 5 ½ oz freshly grated coconut, 1 cup coconut milk, 6 ½ oz sugar, 2 ⅛ oz butter, 5 ½ oz queso costeño or firm feta-style cheese, 1 tsp anise seeds and 1 pinch salt until evenly combined and loose, like a thick porridge.
Step 4: Spread the mixture into the dish and smooth the top with a wet spatula.
Step 5: Bake for 50–55 minutes, until the top is deep golden and the centre feels firm and springs back when pressed.
55 minStep 6: Cool in the dish for at least 1 hour, until set, then cut into squares. It keeps covered in the fridge for 3 days.
60 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 320 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 49 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does enyucado take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 55 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of coconut milk?
- Single cream, same amount (not dairy free).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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