Ecuador

Encebellado



I made this dish on Sunday, June 17.  The name of the dish has at its root the Spanish word for onion (cebolla) because the tuna and yuca soup is topped with pickled red onions.  I was the only one who tried it, as Andy was super tired after spending the weekend at his 10-year high school reunion.  He also was put off with the idea of tuna soup, but not nearly as much as my mom was!  I have to admit that it sounded strange to me as well, but found it to be pretty tasty.  The tuna, I felt, was overcooked, and was the worst element of the meal.    If I ever were to make this again, I would simmer the tuna for probably 10 minutes instead of 15; I like my tuna rare.  I really liked the flavor of the broth, and liked the chunks of yuca in the soup.


Yuca root, which is also called cassava and manioc, is a very common starchy, tuberous root from the tropics.  I was able to find it at Whole Foods.  The best way I can describe it is as a cross between a potato and a parsnip.  I liked the chunks of it in the soup.  This is what it looks like before being prepped (I'm aware of how much this looks like a turd):

To prepare it, I cut off the ends and then peeled it with a vegetable peeler.  There is a layer between the skin and the meat that is magenta colored, and I read that it is an irritant (designed to fend off insects and other yuca eaters), so I wore latex gloves so as to not irritate my skin.


Here is the recipe, which I found on a woman named Laylita's blog:


Encebellado

Pickled Onion and Tomato Salsa

Ingredients:

-1 small red onions
-Juice of 1 1/2 limes
-1/2 tablespoon oil (sunflower or canola)
-1 1/2 tomatoes
-1/2 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
-1/2 tablespoon salt + more to adjust taste

Directions:
1) Cut the onion in half, slice very finely and place in a bowl
2) Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon salt and let rest for about 10 minutes
3) Cover the onions with lukewarm water and let rest for another 10 minutes
4) Rinse and drain the onions
5) Add the lime juice and the oil, place in the fridge until about 30 minutes before serving
6) Cut the tomatoes in half and slice very finely
7) Mix the onions, sliced tomatoes and cilantro, taste and add salt if necessary.

Soup
Ingredients:
-1 lbs. fresh tuna
-1/2 lb. yuca, fresh or frozen, cut into small pieces
-1 T, sunflower oil
-1 tomato, diced
-1/4 red onion, diced
-1/2 tsp. chili powder
-1 tsp. ground cumin
-4 cups of water
-3 cilantro sprigs
-Salt to taste

Directions:
1) Heat the oil on medium heat to make a refrito with diced onion, tomato, cumin, chili powder and salt.

2) Add the water and cilantro springs, bring to a boil.

3) Add the tuna and cook for until the tuna is fully cooked, about 15 minutes.
4) Drain the tuna and keep the broth to cook the yuca.
5) Separate or break the tuna into small to medium size pieces.
6) Bring the tuna broth to a boil and add the yucas, cook until tender but firm, about 30-40 minutes.
7) Add tuna pieces to the broth, taste and add salt if needed.

8) Re-warm the soup if necessary and serve topped with a good amount of pickled onion and tomato salsa; if desired can also be served with avocado slices and extra lime slices.