These sweet potato fritters from the Myers + Chang cookbook are incredible. The creamy roasted sweet potato cakes are enriched with a little butter, punched up with spicy red curry paste, and studded with bits of sweet Chinese sausage and scallions, then breaded in panko, which makes them extra crispy when fried. Already addictive on their own, the Sriracha Aioli accompanying them will ensure you can’t stop dipping until they’re gone. If you can’t find the Chinese sausage (lap cheong), you can substitute chopped bacon, chorizo, or ham, or just leave out the meat for a veggie version. And although regular sweet potatoes or yams work beautifully here, if you can find extra-sweet, purple-skinned Japanese sweet potatoes, the authors recommend using those.

For a couple more stunning Myers + Chang creations, get their Braised Short Rib Dumplings with Sichuan Chili Oil recipe, and their Beef and Chinese Broccoli Chow Fun recipe.

For more savory sweet potato dishes, try our Sweet Potato-Star Anise Soup with Ginger recipe, and our New Mexican Sweet Potato Latkes with Lime-Sour Cream Sauce recipe.

  • Yields: 7 or 8 fritters
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Total: 1 hr 48 min (includes roasting and cooling time)
  • Active: 25 min

Ingredients (10)

  • 2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds), scrubbed clean
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped Chinese sausage
  • 2 scallions, white and green parts finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon Homemade Red Curry Paste or jarred Thai red curry paste (we like Roland brand)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil, such as canola, plus more as needed
  • 1/2 cup Sriracha Aioli, or 1/2 cup mayonnaise mixed with 2 tablespoons sriracha

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and place a rack in the center of the oven.
  2. Place the sweet potatoes directly on the oven rack and roast for about 1 hour, until they are completely cooked through. You should be able to easily poke a small knife directly into the middle of the potatoes when they are done. Remove from the oven and let cool. When they are cool enough to handle, peel the skin off with a small paring knife and place the flesh in a bowl. Mash the potato with a fork until smooth. Add the sausage, scallions, butter, curry paste, and salt. Mash with a fork or wooden spoon until well combined.
  3. In a shallow bowl, whisk the egg with a fork and pour the panko crumbs onto a large plate.
  4. Shape the sweet potato mixture into small cakes, 2 to 3 inches round and 1 inch thick. Dip the sweet potato cakes in the egg to coat both sides, then in the panko crumbs, covering them completely.
  5. In a large, heavy, flat-bottomed skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Carefully place the fritters a few at a time in the hot oil and fry them until they are golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Drain them on a plate lined with paper towels. Serve the hot fritters with the Sriracha Aioli.

SWEET POTATO AND CHINESE SAUSAGE FRITTERS excerpted from MYERS+CHANG AT HOME © 2017 by Joanne Chang & Karen Akunowicz. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved. Image courtesy of Kristen Teig.