Nuégados

Ingredients

Yuca dough

• 1 kgcassava, peeled
• 2eggs
• 100 gplain flour
• 1 tspbaking powder
• 1/2 tspsalt
• 60 ggrated hard cheese, if wanted

For frying

• 1 litrevegetable oil

Panela syrup

• 500 gpanela or dulce de atado, chopped
• 400 mlwater
• 1cinnamon stick
• 4cloves
• 1strip of orange peel
• 1 tspaniseed, if wanted

To serve

• chilate, the maize and cacao drink
• coffee

Directions

1. Cut the cassava into manageable lengths. Cut off the thick brown skin and the pink layer beneath it. Both must come off completely. Cut each length in half and pull out the woody central fibre. Put the prepared cassava in a pot and cover it with salted water.
2. Bring it to the boil and cook it for about twenty-five minutes. It should be completely soft when tested with a knife. Drain it thoroughly and let it steam dry for five minutes. Mashing it is best done while hot. Mash the hot cassava thoroughly with a masher or a ricer. Pick out any fibrous threads you missed. Let it cool until you can handle it comfortably. Making the dough is done by hand.
3. Add the eggs, flour, baking powder and salt to the mashed cassava. Add the grated cheese if you are using it. Work it together into a soft dough. It should hold together when squeezed. Add a little more flour if it is too wet to shape. Do not overwork it, which makes the fritters heavy.
4. Take a heaped tablespoon of dough. Roll it into a ball or shape it into a short oval. Set them on a lined tray as you go. Making the syrup is done while they rest.
5. Chop the panela into small pieces so it dissolves. Put it in a pan with the water and the spices. Heat it gently, stirring, until the panela has dissolved. Bring it to a simmer and cook it for fifteen minutes. It should thicken slightly and darken.
6. Strain out the spices and keep the syrup warm. It should be pourable rather than thick, since it must soak in. Heat the oil in a deep pan to about 170C. Test with a small piece: it should rise and sizzle steadily. Fry them for five or six minutes. Turn them over as they colour. They should be deep golden all over.
7. Break one open from the first batch to check the centre. Lift them onto a rack for a moment. They go into the syrup while still hot. Drop the hot fritters straight into the warm syrup. Turn them so they are coated all over.
8. Let them sit in the syrup for at least ten minutes. Hot fritters absorb far more syrup than cool ones. Lift them out with a slotted spoon. Serve them warm with a little extra syrup poured over. They keep for two days but are best on the day.

Technique

• Cassava must be cooked through, since it contains cyanogenic compounds.
• Pull out the woody central fibre, which never softens.
• Put the fritters into the syrup while hot, since they absorb far more that way.

Substitutions

• Maize dough in place of cassava, which is the other traditional version.
• Dark muscovado in place of panela, though the flavour is flatter.

Variations

• Made with maize masa instead of cassava.
• With grated cheese worked into the dough.
• With aniseed through the syrup.

History

Sold at village fairs and church fiestas alongside chilate, using cassava, a staple that predates the Spanish arrival.

Frequently asked questions

What is Nuégados?

Nuégados is a dessert from El Salvador: fried yuca or corn fritters soaked in dark panela syrup. Sold at village fairs and church fiestas alongside chilate, using cassava, a staple that predates the Spanish arrival.

How long does Nuégados take to make?

Nuégados takes 40 min of preparation and 40 min of cooking. The recipe makes 24 fritters. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Nuégados?

Yes, within limits. Maize dough in place of cassava, which is the other traditional version. Dark muscovado in place of panela, though the flavour is flatter.

What is the most important thing to get right in Nuégados?

Cut the cassava into manageable lengths. Cut off the thick brown skin and the pink layer beneath it. Both must come off completely. Cut each length in half and pull out the woody central fibre. Put the prepared cassava in a pot and cover it with salted water.