China · Shandong

Candied Potatoes

Name: Candied Potatoes
Prep time: 8 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 16 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Shandong
Ingredients: potatoes 2 pieces; cooking oil 300 ml; cornstarch 30 g; sugar 120 g; water 100 ml; sesame seeds 5 g

Deep-fried potato tossed in hot caramel syrup until every piece pulls out long, fine threads. Crisp outside, soft inside, sweet all the way.

16 minutes · 4 servings · Moderate

The pulling strands only work while the syrup is at the right stage, and that window is short and unforgiving. Sugar goes past amber to a deep brown, and any delay after that turns the coating bitter. It is a classic from Shandong cooking, where such sweet savoury dishes sit happily next to braised and fried plates at the same table.

Ingredients

potatoes2 pieces
cooking oil300 ml
cornstarch30 g
sugar120 g
water100 ml
sesame seeds5 g

Directions

1
Peel the potatoes and cut them into even small pieces. Toss them with the cornstarch, without adding water, so that the starch coats the surface.
2
Heat oil in a pan, add the potato pieces and fry gently, rolling them, for 5 to 7 minutes, until a chopstick can be pushed into them.
3
Lift out the potatoes into a large bowl.
4
Add the water and sugar to the pan and stir the sugar slowly in one direction until it turns brown.
5
Return the potatoes, stir-fry for 30 seconds and turn out of the pan at once.
6
Plate the potatoes and scatter over the sesame seeds.

Source: HowToCook · WorldBite adaptation · Unlicense source text; bilingual recipe adapted by WorldBite.