Cooking in Mexico (making do with what you can find)

SWEET POTATO FRIES

This is my first offering (recipe follows).

Isn't it about time we all exchange recipies on how we, as a large ex pat community of men and women who cook, find culinary happiness in Mexico? As a recent new-comer to Mexico living part-time (only 7 1/2 years), visiting the supermarket takes me out of out of my NOB comfort zone (but isn't that what we come for anyway?) Why don't we put our collective heads together and share how we have re-created a piece of our old homes in our new home?

Here goes ... (sweet potao fries):

for 2 people, buy 2 nice-sized sweet potatoes and peel them, cut them into french-fry sized pieces, and boil them in hot water for a few minutes (use your judgment, just enough to soften them, not turn them to mush). You really can't mess that up (who would know anyway?)

Next, drain them and maybe roll them in a clean dish cloth (to absorb the extra moisture): this will be a good idea, considering the next step is a hot oil bath.

Heat a large saucepan with enough olive oil or grapeseed oil (or some other healthy oil) until hot. When is it hot? Drop a sweet potato cutting into it. It should bubble profusely. If it isn't hot enough, just cook the fries longer.

Introduce about half of your sweet potato sticks into the oil at a time. They should have enough room to hop around and get active.

When is it done? Use your spatula, spaghetti draining tool, or whatever you use in your kitchen to turn those puppies over. Do they look done to you? They should be sort of a golden brown color. Taste one. You really can't fail, honest.

While draining your newly fried fries on some paper towel, sprinkle them lightly with tumeric and some seasoned salt. Not too much of either, maybe taste so you can adjust to your taste buds. Get creative, if tumeric doesn't do it for you, try any seasoning like cumin, pepper flakes, etc.

How can any of us go back to the frozen brands we've been buying back home? And, it is so very much cheaper and fresher, too. Even when we are back NOB, we still make these fries and much prefer them to the great packaged, frozen offerings we can get at our local market.

Some cooks/chefs do not pre-boil their sweet potato fries, preferring the more chewey texture of the fresh-to-fried texture. We are happy with the pre-boil, however.

When to serve and with what? Super-dooper next to fresh fish or with chicken without a heavy sauce. Maybe even serve next to a burger?

Next time my significant-other and I write, we'll give you our ideas for how to find (and demand) great fresh-ground meat from your local market.

Meanwhile, how do you cook your favorite fish recipe and fresh veggies? I will work hard to share ideas on how we use the local and fresh food products we find in abundance here on the Yucatan peninsula (Q. Roo). And my fish tacos, those coming soon!

Source: http://www.expatforum.com/expats/mexico-expat-forum-expats-living-mexico/149392-cooking-mexico-making-do-what-you-can-find.html

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