Chicken Mofongo

Chicken Mofongo
The Soul of a New Cuisine by Marcus Samuelsson

I haven't tried this recipe, but it looks like it could be pretty good. This recipe, while perhaps a little more intensive due to the homemade spice mix, is naturally salt-free. It did mention to boil the cassava in salted water, but in looking through several recipes online, boiling cassava with salt is not necessary.
  
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 T Dark Spice Mix (recipe below)
4 boneless chicken thighs, cut crosswise into 2-inch strips
1 medium cassava root, peeled, rinsed, and cut into 2-inch cubes
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes
2 T peanut oil
2 medium red onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 Scotch bonnet chilies, seeds and ribs removed, finely chopped
2 scallions, trimmed and chopped
4 small parsley sprigs, leaves only, chopped

Whisk together the lemon juice and the spice mix in a shallow pan. Add the chicken, turning to coat, then cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Remove the chicken from the liquid and pat dry. Meanwhile, place the cassava in a bowl and rinse in cold water until the water runs clear. Drain. 

When ready to finish the dish, combine the cassava and sweet potato in a pot, cover with salted water, bring to a boil, and boil for 25 minutes, or until tender but not mushy. Drain, then transfer to a large bowl and mash with a fork to a chunky consistency.

While the cassava and sweet potatoes are cooking, heat the peanut oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. Add the onions and chicken strips and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are translucent and the chicken is browned. Add the garlic and chilies and cook for another 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the scallions and parsley.

Fold the chicken into the cassava-sweet potato mash. Serve warm, perhaps with a tomato sauce. 4-6 servings.


Dark Spice Mix

1 T cumin seeds
1½ t poppy seeds
One 3-inch piece ginger, peeled and grated
2 t mustard seeds
2 t fennel seeds
6 cloves
1 t cardamom pods
1 t black peppercorns
2 cinnamon sticks, crushed into small pieces
2 Scotch bonnet chilies, seeds and ribs removed, chopped
½ cup peanut oil 

Heat a small sauté pan over low heat. Add the cumin seeds, poppy seeds, ginger, mutard seeds, fennel seeds, cloves, cardamom, peppercorns, cinnamon sticks, and chilies and toast until fragrant, stirring occasionally, about 30 seconds.

Transfer to a blender and puree. With the blender running, add the oil in a thin, steady stream and blend to a coarse puree.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. Makes about 1 cup