The core ingredients of New Zealand mussels and sweet potato are enhanced in these sweet potato and mussel fritters with fresh ginger and chilli, adding a bit of a South-East Asian character. The tangy yoghurt sauce compliments the flavour, texture, and temperature perfectly.
25mussels(preferably fresh but I used frozen New Zealand mussels)
2large sweet potatoes(known in NZ as kumara)
1large onion
4clovesgarlic
1grated rind of a lemon
1juice of a lemon
1glasswhite wine
1large mild chillifinely diced
1thumb sized nob of fresh gingerfinely grated
4eggs
1cupall purpose flour
1tspbaking powder
1/3cupbuttermilk(or milk or half and half greek yogurt and water)
1/2tspsaltor to taste
Dressing
1/2cupgreek yogurt
1large mild chillifinely diced
1/2cupfresh mintfinely diced
1juice of a lemon
Instructions
Combine the yogurt, diced mild chilli, mint, and lemon juice in a bowl, cover and set aside in the refrigerator.
Whisk together the eggs, flour, and buttermilk, cover and set aside in the refrigerator.
Peel and dice the sweet potatoes. Boil until tender then drain, retaining the water. Set aside the sweet potato to cool.
Add the wine into the sweet potato water. Steam the mussels in the sweet potato water until they open (or for 8 minutes if using frozen mussels).
Drain and allow to cool.
Once cool, remove the mussels from the shells and remove beards. Chop mussels into 5x5mm pieces.
Finely dice the onion and garlic, and simmer in a little olive oil and butter until starting to soften.
Mash the sweet potatoes.
In a large bowl, combine the egg mixture, sweet potatoes, onion and garlic, lemon rind and juice, diced chilli, grated ginger, salt, and chopped mussels.
In a flat pan over medium heat, add some olive oil and spoon in enough mixture in to make an appropriately sized fritter. Cook until golden brown on both sides.
Keep in a 150 degC oven while preparing the remaining fritters and until needed.