Holiday Recipe No. 1 by Chef Jason Hook
courtesy of h2o kitchen, the artistic culinary creation of Chef Hook
I chose Chef Hook’s #recipe for it’s sheer originality, beautiful composition, and refreshing spin on a traditional favorite: the sweet potato.
Sweet Potato Falafel with Lime Crème Fraîche
Photographs by Jason Hook
2 medium sweet potatoes (orange inside), around 700g or 1 1/2 pounds in total
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 small cloves of garlic, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 big handfuls of fresh cilantro/coriander, chopped
Juice of half a lemon
a scant cup (120g) gram /chickpea flour
a splash of olive oil
a sprinkling of sesame seeds
salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 425F degrees (220C) and roast the sweet potatoes whole until just tender – 45 minutes to 1 hour. Turn off the oven, leave the potatoes to cool, then peel.
Put the sweet potatoes, cumin, garlic, ground and fresh coriander, lemon juice and gram/chickpea flour into a large bowl. Season well, and mash until smooth with no large chunks. Stick in the fridge to firm up for an hour, or the freezer for 20-30 minutes. When you take it out, your mix should be sticky rather than really wet. You can add a tablespoon or so more of chickpea flour if necessary (the water content of sweet potatoes varies enormously).
Reheat the oven to 400F/200C. Using a couple of soup spoons (put a well-heaped spoonful of mix in one spoon and use the concave side of the other to shape the sides) or a falafel scoop if you have one, make the mixture into falafelly looking things and put them on an oiled tray. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top and bake in the oven for around 15 minutes, until the bases are golden brown.
*Makes about 18 falafel, enough for 4 – 6.
You can find Jason Hook on Facebook | Instagram
Chef Hook is 1 of 3 recipients to win the Food Lover’s Companion, Fifth Edition thanks to our friends at Barron’s Education Series Publishing. In addition, Jason is an accomplished artist and photographer.
Follow ATOD Magazine™ and A Taste of Dawn™
