Sweet potato & corn cakes with tamarind bacon & avocado

Method

• step 1

  Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Prick the sweet potatoes and potato with a knife and roast them until soft – about 45 mins-1 hr for the potato and 40-50 mins for the sweet potato, turning them halfway through. Remove from the oven, leave until cool enough to handle, then scoop the potato flesh out of the skins and lightly mash together but not so it’s smooth – keep it chunky.

• step 2

  While the potatoes are cooking, scoop the avocado into a bowl and mash lightly. Add half of the spring onions, the scotch bonnet, if using, the lime juice and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Keep chilled until ready to serve.

• step 3

  If using fresh corn, slice the kernels from the cob and boil in a pan of salted water for 3 mins. Rinse with cold water to cool. Add the sweetcorn to the potato mix, with the remaining spring onions and some salt and pepper. Gently mix, then take a handful the size of a tomato. Roll on your worktop, then flatten slightly until it is about 1-inch thick. Repeat until all the mixture is used up, you should have around 12-14 cakes. Put the cassava flour in a shallow bowl and gently drop the cakes in, one by one, then roll lightly to coat with the flour.

• step 4

  Mix the tamarind and honey with 1 tbsp warm water until fully dissolved. Warm a frying pan over a medium heat and add the bacon. After 1 minute, brush the tamarind mixture over the top side and turn, brushing the other side with a little more of the mixture. At first it will look as though the bacon is boiling, but keep adding the mixture and turning two more times, and it will start to caramelise. Once nicely browned on both sides, remove from the pan and keep warm.

• step 5

  Put the oil in a non-stick frying pan, enough so the oil will come halfway up the cakes. Heat over a medium-high heat and fry the cakes for 3-4 mins each side until golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper and keep warm while you cook the remaining cakes. To serve, pile two or three cakes onto each plate alongside some mashed avocado and put two slices of bacon on top. Serve 2 tbsp each of the soured cream on the side, if you like.