There are certain things I promised myself I would not compromise on in looking for a new place to live. A doorman I could continue to do without, but I could not give up my elevator. A small bedroom would be okay, but definitely not the kitchen. The kitchen would have a deep sink, a dishwasher and counter space. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you how this story ends – that my duplex penthouse is four flights up, that there’s no dishwasher in sight in the little kitchen. But the first time I visited the apartment in the pouring rain on a Sunday morning in April, I fell in love with characteristics I didn’t know I cared about at all – the abundance of storage space, the adorable living room balcony and the sprawling upstairs terrace that would accommodate a charcoal grill which to date I do not know how to use.
A butcher block, a knife rack and a pot rack have made the kitchen infinitely more functional, if not larger. And the terrace has proven to be the ultimate entertaining space, with a table that seats 10 and amazing sunsets every night. It’s not done yet – it needs more lights, some additional seating maybe – but instead of waiting for everything to be perfect I’ve made a conscious decision to use the space anyway in the meantime. With entertaining, my standards tend to be absurdly high, which usually results in scenes that feature me crying and steaming curtains at the same time.
For the July 4th weekend, I opted out of celebrating our country’s birth and chose instead to have a celebration on the 3rd that featured southeast Asian food. I know, I’m a real rebel. I chose to serve these sweet potato fritters because I wanted to make sure there was at least one dish that wasn’t filled with chiles, for the more delicate palates among us. It was a great call, because they are a real crowd pleaser and also absurdly easy to make. They’re super snackable battered fries, and the dipping sauce is just fantastic, made of Thai sweet chile sauce, cilantro and roasted peanuts. The combination is crunchy, sweet, salty and utterly perfect for entertaining. It doesn’t hurt that they also look beautiful on a plate.
So happy late Independence Day, and I hope this sets a strong precedent for the rest of the summer – that no matter what you’ve got on your table, no matter how much space you have, it’s always better with a few bottles of sparkling rosé and a hilarious, raucous group of the best people you know.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs. sweet potatoes or yams
- 3/4 cup rice flour (preferred) or all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup unsweetened dried coconut flakes
- 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon water (3/4 cup if using all-purpose flour)
- 1 tablespoon aromatic paste (see below)
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- 2 heads garlic, separated into cloves and peeled
- 1 tablespoon whole white peppercorns or ground white pepper
- 5 cilantro roots or 1/2 cup loosely packed chopped cilantro stems
- 1 cup sweet chile sauce
- 1/2 cup roasted peanuts, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
- 1 fresh bird's eye chile, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- First make the aromatic paste, which you can store in the freezer for up to 1 month. Grind the garlic, peppercorns and cilantro in a small food processor or in a mortar until a smooth paste forms (you may want to grind the peppercorns in a spice grinder first as sometimes they slip under a food processor's blades).
- To make the fritters, peel the sweet potatoes, then cut them lengthwise into French-fry-like sticks about 1/2 inch thick and of any length. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, coconut and sesame seeds. Whisk in the water and 1 tablespoon of the aromatic paste until thoroughly combined. That batter will be thick and pasty. Add the sweet potato sticks and use your hands to turn them in the batter, coating them as evenly as possible - your hands will work better than a spoon or spatula here. You will see coconut and sesame seeds adhering to the sticks in random spots - that's what you want. Leave the sweet potatoes in the bowl and set the bowl aside.
- To make the dipping sauce, put the sweet chile sauce in a small serving bowl. Sprinkle the peanuts, cilantro and chile on top. Do not mix them together until serving time.
- To fry the fritters, pour the oil to a depth of 3 inches into a wok, Dutch oven or other suitable vessel and heat to 325°F to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with paper towels and place it next to the stove.
- One at a time, drop the sweet potato sticks into the hot oil. Fry them in batches, being careful not to crowd the pan. Because sweet potatoes have orange flesh, it is difficult to know when the sticks are golden brown. But after 2 minutes, the crust should start to darken and form a solid shell, and that is when the fritters are ready. Using a wire-mesh skimmer or slotted spoon, transfer the fritters to the towel-lined baking sheet. Repeat until all of the sweet potato sticks are cooked.
- To finish the dipping sauce, stir the peanuts, cilantro and chiles in the chile sauce. Arrange the fritters on a platter and serve with the sauce alongside. Any leftover fritters can be reheated in a 375°F oven until they are crispy again.
Notes
Adapted from Simple Thai Food
