Crispy Cajun Sweet Potato Fries

It's a testament to how good these are that I'm posting them. I'm not the biggest sweet potato fan. I overdid them in my early vegan days (roast sweet potatoes drizzled with tahini... iykyk), then at the start of my gut health issues they made my tummy hurt. So I'm only finding my way back to them now.

Taking notes from freezer-bought sweet potato fries, these have a little rice flour sprinkled over them before baking which makes them even more crispy and "fried"-like. I'd forgotten how much I enjoy Cajun seasonings and this is a very easy and addictive way to include them in a meal.

You can halve this recipe – but they're so delicious you might wish you made the full quantity!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 large sweet potatoes (approx. 1kg total)
• 2 tbsp dairy-free butter, melted
• 1 tbsp light-flavoured vegetable oil (I used sunflower oil)
• 2 tsp store-bought Cajun seasoning
• 1 tbsp rice flour

To Serve: dairy & egg-free mayonnaise

METHOD

1. Fill your kettle completely with water and boil. Peel the sweet potatoes and chop into small-medium chip sized pieces. Place the sweet potato chunks in a large pot, cover with the boiling water and turn the heat on high. Once the water boils, boil for another 2 minutes – or until the sweet potato pieces are tender when you pierce them with a knife. Drain and set aside to steam dry (don't wash the pot). To speed up this process I tip them onto a baking cooling rack set on top of a tray. They should take 45 minutes to "steam dry" and come to room temperature.
2. Set the oven to 200C/400F.
3. Take the cooled fries and add them back into the pot. Cover with the lid and shake vigorously (while holding the lid in place) for a minute or until the sweet potatoes are rough around the edges. You do need to shake them back and forth like you mean it for this effect to occur. Drizzle the melted butter and oil over the sweet potatoes, then sprinkle over the cajun seasoning and rice flour. Using a spatula, stir/toss to evenly coat.
4. Dump the seasoned sweet potato fries onto a lined baking sheet and arrange them in an even layer. Bake the fries in the preheated oven for 40–50 minutes, or until crisp-enough to your liking. If you've halved the recipe, check after 30 minutes – as the more room the fries have between them, the quicker they will cook. Serve hot with mayo (if desired). These reheat well in an air-fryer or oven.