Roasted Cassava and Green Sauce

Ingredients

For the cassava

• 1 kg (2lb 4oz) cassava, peeled, stringy centre removed, flesh cut into 2cm (¾ inch) x 12 cm (4½ inch) sticks
• olive oil
• salt

For the Farmacy Seed Mix (makes 6 tablespoons)

• 2 tablespoons cumin seeds
• 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
• 2 tablespoons fennel seeds

For the green sauce (makes 250ml/9 fl oz)

• 2 whole garlic cloves
• 1–2 green or jalapeño chillies
• 1 teaspoon Farmacy Seed Mix (see below)
• 1 large bunch of coriander, stems and leaves
• 125 ml (4 fl oz) sunflower or rapeseed oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon salt

Method

To make the cassava

Preheat the oven to 200˚C/400˚F/gas mark 7.

Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil, salt the water well and add the cassava sticks. Cook for about 18 minutes.

Drain and arrange the sticks on a baking tray. Season generously with salt and olive oil and bake until golden; about 15 minutes.

Serve with Green Sauce on the side or on the top.

Note: Never eat cassava raw; it should always be cooked before eating.

To make the seed mix (needed for the green sauce)

Put the seeds in a dry frying pan without oil over a medium heat and cook them until they are fragrant. This takes about 3 minutes. The aim here is not to toast the seeds, but to release the beautiful combination of flavours by warming the seeds together in the pan.

Put the seeds in a food processor and pulse and blend until they have a consistency you like.

Store in an airtight container in a dry, dark place for up to 6 months.

The Farmacy Seed Mix takes food way beyond classic seasoning. It deepens flavours, taking dishes to a new level. This mix pops up in many recipes. Make a batch and keep it in the kitchen to use as needed. This recipe was inspired by chef Peter Gordon. We use it frequently in the Farmacy kitchen.

To make the green sauce

Put the garlic, chillies and seed mix in a food processor and blend together. Add the coriander, oil, lemon juice and salt. Process until the sauce is smooth, like pesto. Check the seasoning and adjust if necessary with more lemon juice.

Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

The colour may darken over time due to oxidation, but this doesn’t affect the flavour. You can top with a thin layer of oil to prevent oxidation, or alternatively, freeze half to use another time.