Name: Cinnamon-Sugar Fried Sweet Potatoes
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: Creole & CajunUS & Canada
Ingredients: 2½ tablespoons sugar; ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon; ¾ teaspoon table salt; 2 pounds lard; 2 pounds sweet potatoes , peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Why This Recipe Works

Down in Cajun country, they fry thin slices of sweet potato in vats of rendered lard until just tender before seasoning them with a vanilla-infused cinnamon sugar. Re-creating this formula for the home cook was relatively straightforward. We used commonly available John Morrell Snowcap Lard and fried in a relatively shallow amount. Frying the potatoes in two batches ensured that they cooked evenly and didn’t crowd or overcool the fat. Tossing the potatoes in a simple mix of sugar, cinnamon, and salt made them completely irresistible, while adding an optional splash of vanilla extract made them dead ringers for the sweet potatoes we had in Louisiana.

Before You Begin

We developed this recipe using John Morrell Snow Cap Lard, but you can substitute 1 quart of duck fat, peanut oil, or vegetable oil, if desired, although the taste will be different. This recipe can be doubled to serve a crowd: Double all ingredients (except for lard); fry potatoes in three batches (rather than two); increase the frying time to 8 to 10 minutes per batch; and spread fried potatoes over two paper towel-lined baking sheets (rather than one) to ensure they remain crispy after frying.

Instructions

Combine sugar, cinnamon, and salt in large bowl; set aside. Line rimmed baking sheet with triple layer of paper towels. Melt lard in large Dutch oven and heat over medium-high heat to 350 degrees.

Add half of sweet potatoes to lard and fry until tender and lightly browned in spots, about 6 minutes. Transfer sweet potatoes to prepared sheet. Return oil to 350 degrees and repeat with remaining sweet potatoes.

Transfer sweet potatoes to bowl with sugar mixture and toss to coat. If using, add vanilla and toss again. Serve.