Naturally sweet and crispy bits of fried sweet potatoes in the form of shoestrings are an exciting addition to any sandwich, wrap, or appetizer. Plus, after they’re fried, they can also be seasoned and turned into a stand-alone snack and enjoyed equally by vegans, vegetarians, or meat-lovers as a substitute for French fries.
Be on the lookout for a mandolin slicer with a 1/8-inch matchstick blade attachment (pictured below), available online or at any kitchen supply store. Matchsticks and shoestrings are both 1/8″ in width, the only difference being their lengths … matchsticks are short, and shoestrings are long. The key to super successful shoestring fried sweet potatoes is to very briefly (like 20 seconds maximum) drop them into boiling water before frying (then pat them dry). Doing this gives them an initial cook on the exteriors. When you fry, the exteriors will get crispier as the interiors become tender.
A mandolin slicer allows for easy and safe slicing to make matchsticks. It comes with a nifty blade guard – be sure to use it!
Shoestring Fried Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- sweet potatoes
- canola oil
Instructions
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add a dash of salt. Meanwhile, peel the sweet potatoes.
- Using a matchstick slicer or a mandolin slicer (both pictured above), slice the sweet potatoes lengthwise.
- To blanch, drop the matchstick sweet potatoes into already-boiling water for just a minute, then transfer them onto paper towels to dry. They shouldn’t be wet when you fry. You can blanch the sweet potatoes hours (or even a day) ahead of time.
- In a cast-iron skillet, fill with canola oil to 3/4-inch deep and heat to frying temperature. Use one piece of sweet potato in the oil as a test; if when you drop it in and sizzling happens, the oil is ready.
- Fry the blanched sweet potatoes in batches until slightly browned on the edges. Be sure not to crowd the skillet. As each batch is done, transfer the fried sweet potatoes onto paper towels to blot.
Try these on pita with my Black-eyed Pea Dip with Roasted Garlic
Fried shoestring green plantains
Really, you could do this with any type of root vegetable … yucca, yautia, or potatoes. However, this works amazingly with green plantains, especially because they’re not so firm. I admit, you have to put in a little work when cutting sweet potatoes into shoestrings, and that does make it a little dangerous as your fingers get closer to the blades. With plantains … once they’re peeled, they glide with ease over the mandolin blades. Also, keep in mind that there is no need to precook the plantains in boiling water. Just drop them directly in the hot oil.
The same technique is used for green plantains, except there is no need for a brief boil. Just drop them directly into the hot canola oil.
