When roasting sweet potato pieces at home, you may find that although the taste is still sweet, it lacks a crispy texture. After countless trials, Rachel Levin, author of the cooking website Simply Recipes, discovered a secret that allows sweet potato pieces to perfectly balance between the sweet inside and the crispy appearance without frying, which is to sprinkle cornstarch.
Corn flour makes roasted sweet potatoes fragrant and crispyLevin said that just this topping can make the roasted sweet potato pieces sweet potatoes sweet from sweet but moist, to fragrant and crispy. Corn flour is usually used to make the sauce thicker, but applying it on the sweet potato block before baking is like covering it with a layer of water-absorbing film that can make the sweet potato block surface crisp in the oven without drying inside. This contrast in taste greatly enhances the deliciousness of the roasted sweet potato pieces.
Levin pointed out that the oven is first preheated to 425 degrees Celsius (about 218 degrees Celsius), which is the best temperature to bake to crispy. Wash or peel the sweet potatoes and cut into bite-sized pieces to ensure uniform heat. Levin said that she does not peel sweet potato skins, one is to save time for the season, and the other is to like the taste of sweet potato skins after being roasted.
Two large sweet potatoes require about a spoonful of corn flour. Levin said that the chopped sweet potato pieces were placed in a large bowl, sprinkled with corn flour, stir evenly, and coated with corn flour on each side, which was the key to baking a crispy texture.
After wrapping the sweet potato pieces with a thin layer of corn flour, you can then add fuel and tunic. Levin said she usually uses special virgin olive oil, but avocado oil, coconut oil or any high temperature resistant oil will do.
Corn powder allows the flavoring to adhere to the surfaceand try to make a big splash. Levin pointed out that salt, pepper and any spice you like can help add. Her favorite combinations are garlic powder, cumin powder, less chili powder, as well as salt and pepper. She said corn flour not only increases the taste, but also allows the flavoring to adhere to the surface, making the flavor more slurry.
Put the flavoured sweet potato pieces on the baking plate with baking sheets to ensure that they are not piled up together. The appropriate space will keep them evenly heated and each surface remains crispy.
If you are roasting whole sweet potatoes, Levin recommends putting them on the grill so that the hot air can circulate up and down each sweet potato. The baking time is about 25 to 30 minutes, flip the middle to ensure that the sweet potatoes on the baking plate are hot; but if placed directly on the iron rack, there is no need to turn over halfway.
Levin reminds that although this method is relatively simple, there are some things to note:
1. The baking pan is overly shaking: it is absolutely necessary to leave enough space for the sweet potato pieces. Over-touching will be like steaming rather than roasting, making the sweet potato pieces moist and not as crisp as you want.2. Sprinkle too much corn flour: Although corn flour plays an important role, it will taste pink if used too much. The recommended dosage is that two large sweet potatoes are about one spoonful and they will be done.
Responsible editor: Gu Zihuan