Mushroom, kumara and bacon fritters

We're in New Zealand at the moment and embracing this country's love affair with sweet potato - or the more NZ appropriate kumara. We've got fries and toppings and mash and all manner of variances. Even gnocchi. Good thing we love it. Sweet potato is very good for you. It rates as one of the most nutritious of all vegetables, is a good source of antioxidants and is pretty much fat-free. Enough of the lecture. Let me give you a recipe that I haven't cooked myself but came across when I was doing some kumara browsing. Says it serves four. I'll let you be the judge of that.

And don't fret, tomorrow I'll do wine. NZ Sauvignon Blanc. Promise. 

Ingredients

700g mushrooms quartered
500g kumara, peeled and diced to one cm
250g bacon, diced
1 onion, diced
2 tablespoons finely diced garlic
3 tablespoons fresh thyme, finely chopped
4 eggs
¾ cup plain flour
2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce
salt and black pepper to taste
cooking oil and butter

Method

In a saucepan add diced kumara and cover with salted cold water and put over high heat. Bring to boil and cook for about 5 minutes until soft. Strain and cool.

Bring another saucepan to the heat, add a little cooking oil, when hot, add bacon, onion, garlic and thyme. Cook for 10 minutes until the onion is soft before adding mushrooms. Cook for 20 minutes until cooking liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat, cool then place in a bowl with kumara.

For the batter whisk the eggs and flour to a thick, smooth consistency. Pour over mushroom and kumara mix add chilli sauce and season. To cook heat up the griddle top of your bbq or your stove-top frypan.

Add a little oil and butter then spoon out the fritters. Cook until golden one side and turn. Keep warm until all are cooked.

Serve with poached eggs and Hollandaise. Or salad and salsa.