Fried taro, sweet potato, cassava and plantain chips (mariquitas)

Root vegetables and plantain chips, known in Cuba as marquitas, are eaten as both a snack and a side dish with main meals. Sometimes they served with mojo – a sauce of garlic, citrus juice and vinegar – but to enjoy the inherently sweet flavours of the vegetables, we’ve seasoned our version simply with salt.

• serves

  4

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 300 g taro (see Note)
• 300 g white sweet potato (see Note)
• 500 g cassava (see Note)
• 500 g (about 2) green plantains (see Note)
• vegetable oil, to deep-fry

Drink Reschs Pilsener ($15 for a six-pack).

Instructions

Peel vegetables, then cut taro and potato into 1 cm-thick batons; cassava into 5 mm-thick slices; and plantain lengthwise into 1 mm-thick slices, placing vegetables in acidulated water as you go to prevent browning. Steam taro, potato and cassava for 5 minutes or until just tender. Transfer to a plate lined with a clean tea towel.

Fill a deep-fryer or large saucepan one-third full with oil and heat over medium heat to 180°C (or until a cube of bread turns golden in 10 seconds). Working in batches, gently lower taro, sweet potato and cassava into oil and fry for 3 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel. Repeat with plantains, cooking for 1 minute or until golden and cooked through. Season with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.

Note

• Available from selected greengrocers and Asian food shops.

Photography by Brett Stevens.        

As seen in Feast magazine, Jan 2012, Issue 5. For more recipes and articles, pick up a copy of this month's Feast magazine or check out our great subscriptions offers here.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.