Ecuadorian Spicy Onion And Tamarillo Salsa With Yuca Fingers

By ClaudiaJan

Ecuadorian highlanders make table sauces and cebiches with the yellow tamarillo, an Andean fruit they call tomate de arbol, or tree tomato. They usually reserve the red variety, which reaches them from Colombia, for dessert.

Makes 4 cups

Ingredients

• 4 4 1 fresh or frozen tamarillos (about 1 pound), preferably yellow
• 1 1 1/4 to 1/2 onion (12 ounces), halved and cut lengthwise into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices
• 1 1 1 tablespoon salt
• 2-3 1/2 2-3 large limes (about 1/2 cup)
• 2 2 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, preferably extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 2 2 Ecuadorian hot peppers, or serrano or cayenne peppers, seeded, deveined and finely chopped
• 1/2 1/2 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
• to to taste
• Yuca Fingers With Cilantro Sauce Presilla
• 6-8 6-8
• 3 3 5-inch 2 fresh yuca, peeled and cut into 5-inch chunks, or 2 pounds frozen yuca
• Corn oil or light olive oil for deep-frying
• Salt
• 3 4-quart to 30 3 quarts of water with salt in a 4-quart saucepan. Reduce heat to medium and cook at a gentle boil until soft but not falling apart, about 30 minutes. Drain in a colander and let cool.
• Creamy Cilantro Sauce Presilla
• 2 2 cups
• 2 2 2 cups mayonnaise
• 4 4 4 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1/2 1/2 1/2 cup well-packed cilantro leaves, washed and dried
• 1 1 1 serrano or jalapeno pepper, seeded, deveined and coarsely chopped
• 1 1 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/3 1/3 1/3 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 1/2 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 2 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)
• to to taste

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

Cut a small cross on the tip of each tamarillo. In a medium saucepan, bring 1 quart water to a boil. Add the tamarillos and cook for one minute for fresh tamarillos, 10 minutes for frozen. Drain. Peel the tamarillos and coarsely mash with a fork. You should have about 1 1/4 cups. Set aside.

Place the onion and salt in a medium bowl. Add tap water to cover, stir and allow the onion to stand for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally with your hands.

Place the onion in a colander, rinse under cold running water and drain thoroughly. Place in a medium bowl, toss with the lime juice, and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in the tamarillo pulp, along with the rest of the ingredients. Serve at room temperature.