Light and flairy sweet potato croquettes

BY NOEL CUNNINGHAM

Tired of  boring sides and looking for a substitute? Don’t worry; you know I always got you covered. This week I’m sharing with you one of my go to side dishes that is perfect with any protein and any day of the week. These are my light and flairy sweet potato croquettes.

The French word “croquette” means “to crunch.” These crunchy morsels have a cheesy and creamy filling and can be served as an appetizer, ready in 45 minutes. Making croquettes is an easy and creative way to use up any leftover sweet potatoes.

The first time I made these croquettes was for a television show in Jamaica and everyone loved them. These croquettes are made with sweet potatoes, butter, spices and eggs, then rolled, battered and deep-fried. Croquettes are easy to pick up, crunchy on the outside with a soft creamy texture. They are perfect for babies and toddlers but are sure to be a hit with the kid in you. They don’t require any special cooking skill and the whole thing comes together in less than an hour. Sweet potatoes are rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. They’re also high in antioxidants that protect your body from free radical damage and chronic disease. The antioxidants in sweet potatoes may provide gut benefits as well. Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of beta-carotene, which can be converted to vitamin A and help support your immune system and gut health. So not only does this recipe is tasty but adding more sweet potatoes in your diet is also healthy for you.

Sweet potato croquettes

Recipe: Preparation time:15 minutes, cooking time: 30 minutes, serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 3 large sweet potatoes (washed, peeled, diced)
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• Salt and black pepper
• ½ garlic clove, grated
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg, grated
• 2 egg yolks
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 2 egg whites
• 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated (optional)

Directions

1. Boil potatoes in salted water until fully cooked, remove from flame and drain.
2. Transfer sweet potatoes to a medium bowl then add butter, salt and pepper, garlic, nutmeg, parmesan cheese and egg yolks. Use a potato masher and mash until smooth and creamy then put in the refrigerator to chill.
3. Remove mixture from the refrigerator and shape mixture into cylinder shape. Freeze for 20 minutes (helps to keep the shape once breaded).
4. Whisk eggs with 2 tablespoon cream or milk in a bowl and set aside.
5. Put the panko breadcrumbs in another bowl.
6. Dip sweet potato croquettes into the flour, then egg mixture, then breadcrumbs and put aside. At this stage you can freeze these for later use and fry once ready.
7. Heat up the oil to 340°F – 170°C then carefully place the croquettes into the oil.

Chef Notes: Do it in batches depending on the size of your frying pan.  Keep moving them around so they don’t burn on the bottom.  They will be ready when golden brown.  Place on absorbent paper then serve.