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1
Peel and Cut the Cassava
20 Mins
No heat — knife work at room temperature
Cut the cassava into short lengths, stand each piece on end and slice the thick skin away with a sharp knife, taking the pink layer beneath it too. Cut the white flesh into even chunks and keep them in cold water so they do not discolour.
Check each piece as you cut — any black streaks or grey patches mean that piece should be thrown away.
Done when: All the flesh is clean white, with no trace of skin or dark spots.
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2
Boil Until Tender
30 Mins
Rolling boil, 100°C (212°F)
Put the cassava in a large pot, cover with the 1.5 litres of cold water, add the salt if using, and bring to a rolling boil. Cook for 25–30 minutes until a knife slides through the thickest piece with no resistance. Drain at once and throw the boiling water away.
Do not undercook it — cassava must be cooked right through, and the water it boiled in is discarded, never reused.
Done when: A knife passes through the centre of the largest chunk without any firmness.
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3
Remove the Core and Pound
10 Mins
Hot, off the heat — work fast while it steams
While the cassava is still hot, pull out the tough woody core from the centre of each piece. Put the hot flesh in a large mortar and pound with a pestle, or mash hard in a sturdy bowl with a potato masher, turning the mass over as you work until it is smooth and lump-free.
Hot cassava pounds easily; cold cassava fights back. Work while it steams.
Done when: The mass is smooth, pale and sticky, with no visible lumps of cassava left.
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4
Turn It Into Dough
5 Mins
Low heat, ~90°C (194°F)
Put the pounded cassava in a pot over low heat. With a strong wooden spoon, fold and turn it, adding a splash of the hot reserved water whenever it stiffens, for about 5 minutes. The dough will turn glossy, stretchy and smooth.
Add water a spoonful at a time — too much at once makes the dough slack and wet.
Done when: The dough pulls away from the pot in one glossy mass and stretches when pulled.
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5
Shape and Serve
5 Mins
Serve warm, ~60°C (140°F)
Wet your hands, divide the dough into four equal pieces and roll each one in your palms into a smooth ball, turning it until the surface is glossy and free of cracks. Serve at once, with soup on the side.
Wet hands are the trick — dry hands stick to the dough and tear its smooth surface.
Done when: Four smooth, glossy balls that hold their shape on the plate.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Shape the hot dough into four smooth balls with wet hands, turning each one in your palms until the surface is glossy and free of cracks. Serve at once, while it is still warm and stretchy, beside a bowl of soup — fufu waits for no one.
Central African Republic
1h 40m
Italy
Thailand