Tart London: How to make sweet potato croquettes

Jemima Jones and Lucy Carr-Ellison bring Andalusia to London with sweet potato croquettes
Lucy Carr-Ellison29 September 2016

Andalusia, until the arrival of mass tourism in the 1970s, was said to be the most economically deprived region in Europe. But when the writer Somerset Maugham travelled there in the early Twenties he described great cultural richness amid the whitewashed villages — rough-edged guitar music and flamenco, colourful parades and food market after food market. While the region may have modernised, the fabulous food remains. The towns are full of little bars and restaurants serving up impeccably delicious small plates of salt cod, serrano ham and Manchego cheese, spicy garlic prawns, thin-cut steaks cooked rare and doused in chilli oil. And croquettes — our favourite.

Croquettes, like so many delicious, hot and crispy bites (deep-fried gyoza, falafel, samosas, spring rolls) always seem as though they should be difficult to make. But in fact they couldn’t be easier, and it’s so much nicer to cook treats like this at home. You can be sure they are made to your liking, using free-range eggs, sweet potato instead of regular white potatoes, little or no flour, and baking them rather than frying.

These are particularly moreish made with a tasty combination of spices and coated in panko crumbs instead of bread crumbs for a lighter, crispier bite. Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of fibre and vitamins A and C, so these feel like a healthier option, but for us we find them the perfect base for taking on flavour. It’s the ideal snack when hosting friends at the weekend, dipped into a spiced yoghurt and washed down with chilled white wine.

Spiced sweet potato & chorizo croquettes

Ingredients (makes 15-20 croquettes)

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3cm cubes

200g chorizo, cut into

1cm cubes

200g feta, crumbled

4 spring onions, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, pressed

2 green chillies, finely chopped

1 tbsp ground coriander

Small bunch fresh coriander, finely chopped

1 tbsp ground cumin

2 tsp smoked paprika

2 free-range eggs

80g panko crumbs

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

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Method

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Boil the cut sweet potatoes in a pot for 15 to 20 minutes, making sure they are cooked through, then mash and set aside to cool.

Fry the diced chorizo in a little olive oil until browned and crispy.

In a large bowl add the sweet potato, feta, chorizo, spring onion, pressed garlic, chillies, coriander, spices, one beaten egg and 2tbsp of the panko crumbs. Place in the refrigerator until cold and stiff.

Shape the potato mix into oval or round croquettes and place onto greaseproof paper trays. Then dip them into the second beaten egg and roll in the remaining panko crumbs with salt and pepper to taste.

Either shallow fry the croquettes in olive oil or bake them in the oven drizzled with olive oil for five to 10 minutes. For extra crispiness, turn the grill on for a few minutes until they turn golden brown. Serve piping hot.

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