Trifongo with Garlic Shrimp

• Prep20 min
• Cook50 min
• Total1 h 10 min
• Serves4

Ingredients

For the trifongo

• 300 g yuca, fresh or frozen, peeled, in 5 cm pieces (2/3 lb, 2 in pieces)
• 900 g water (3 3/4 cups)
• 1 tsp salt, for the cooking water
• 2 green plantains
• 1 ripe plantain (yellow with black spots)
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 40 g olive oil (3 tbsp)
• 60 g warm chicken broth (1/4 cup), plus more if needed
• 30 g pork rinds (chicharrones), crushed (1 cup), optional

For the garlic shrimp

• 6 garlic cloves
• 30 g olive oil (2 tbsp)
• 30 g butter (2 tbsp)
• 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
• 100 g chicken broth or seafood stock (scant 1/2 cup)
• 30 g fresh lime juice (2 tbsp)
• 450 g large shrimp, peeled and deveined (1 lb)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

To serve

• Chopped fresh cilantro
• Lime wedges

Instructions

1. Place the yuca, water and salt in the mixing bowl and cook 25 min/100°C (212°F)/reverse/speed soft, until a knife slides easily into the yuca.
2. While the yuca cooks, peel the plantains and cut them into 2.5 cm (1 in) pieces. In a deep skillet on the stove, heat 2.5 cm (1 in) of oil to 175°C (350°F). Fry the green plantain 6 to 8 minutes, until golden and tender inside, and the ripe plantain 3 to 4 minutes, until caramelized. Drain on paper towels.
3. Drain the yuca in a colander, pull out the woody string from the center and dry the mixing bowl.
4. Place the garlic and salt in the mixing bowl and chop 3 sec/speed 7. Add the olive oil, the warm yuca and plantains, the broth and the pork rinds (if using), then mash 15 sec/reverse/speed 4, helping with the spatula through the hole in the lid. It should be coarse, not a smooth paste; add a little more broth if it looks dry.
5. Press a quarter of the trifongo into a small greased bowl (about 1 cup), turn it out onto a plate as a dome and repeat with the rest. Keep the plates warm in the oven at its lowest setting.
6. Rinse the mixing bowl. Place the garlic in it and chop 3 sec/speed 7. Add the olive oil, butter and paprika and sauté 3 min/120°C (250°F)/speed 1.
7. Add the broth, lime juice, shrimp, salt and pepper and cook 5 min/100°C (212°F)/reverse/speed soft, until the shrimp are pink and opaque. If some are still gray, cook 1 min/100°C (212°F)/reverse/speed soft more.
8. Spoon the shrimp and their garlic sauce around each dome, sprinkle with cilantro and serve right away with lime wedges.

Tips

• Frozen yuca, sold in bags at Publix and Sedano's, is already peeled and cooks the same way. Remove the fibrous string in the center after cooking.
• Choose a ripe plantain that is mostly yellow with black spots, so it fries sweet and soft. The green ones should be fully green and firm.
• For a plain trifongo side, skip the shrimp and pour a few spoonfuls of hot chicken broth over each dome just before serving.
• Trifongo is best fresh. Reheat leftovers covered in the microwave with a splash of broth.