Ukoy
Deep fried sweet potato cakes with squash and shrimp and scallions.
Ingredients
1 pound cocktail shrimp
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
1 cup cornstarch
A large sweet potato, grated
A medium-sized acorn squash, grated
2 cups vegetable oil
1/4 cup finely chopped green scallion tops
1 1/4 cup water
Directions
In a deep bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch,salt and water and beat until the liquid is absorbed. Then add the grated sweet potato, squash and cocktail shrimp and beat vigorously with a spoon until the mixture is well combined.
Pour the oil into a heavy 10 to 12 inch skillet. The oil should be about 1/2 inch deep; if necessary add more. Heat the oil until it is very hot but not smoking.
To make each cake, spoon about 1/3 cup of the mixture onto a saucer, sprinkle a teaspoon or two of the scallions on top. Then holding the saucer close to the surface of the oil, slide the ukoy into it with the aid of a spoon. Fry the cakes, 3 or 4 at a time, for about 3 minutes, spooning the oil over each cake; then turn them carefully and fry them for another 3 minutes, regulating the heat so they color richly and evenly without burning. As each ukoy browns transfer it to paper towels to drain.
