Beer-Soaked Sweet Potato Fries with Chipotle Mayonnaise

Hi! I'm Becca, and I blog over at Amuse Your Bouche, where I share my favourite simple vegetarian recipes. My recipes tend to involve lots of vegetables, lots of pulses, and lots and lots of cheese. But, now it's time to indulge in one of my other favourite ingredients: beer! I love beer. Probably more than I should admit, to be honest... but there's nothing better than relaxing in the evening with a cold one (or three), especially if it's a beer you've crafted yourself in a little corner of your house. Of course, beer isn't only good for drinking - it's great to use in your cooking, too. I'm sure there are a few people raising an eyebrow at this idea, but if you can resist swigging it straight from the bottle, try adding a glug of beer to your next hearty stew or chilli, and tell me I'm wrong. Here's something you might not ever have considered adding beer to: sweet potato fries! They're no more tricky to make than regular sweet potato fries, but they're infused with a lovely beery flavour that transforms a plain old chip into something really special.

How to Make Homemade Beer-Soaked Sweet Potato Fries

Start by cutting your sweet potatoes. I left the skins on mine, since it's easier, and more nutritious - win win! I went for a chunky chip, since I'm a Brit, and that's how we do things over here. You can cut the potatoes into thinner fries if you prefer, but since they'll cook a little more quickly, you might need to adjust the cooking time accordingly. Then, give the potatoes a good soak in some beer. I used Mr. Beer's Classic American Light - it was enough to give the fries a lovely flavour without being overwhelming. Let everything get nice and beery for half an hour or so, then drain them. I know, it seems a shame to throw away good beer, but it's unfortunately not drinkable afterwards. You'll just have to crack open another for drinking instead... Then, just bake the fries as usual, for about another half hour. Sweet potato fries are often considered to be a healthier version of normal potato fries, but since we're already soaking them in beer anyway, I went the whole hog and served mine heaped high with cheese, avocado, and spring onions. Of course, you can add whatever other toppings you fancy as well - maybe some sliced olives or jalapeáos. Don't forget a good dollop of chipotle mayonnaise for dipping! It's just mayonnaise mixed with a smoky chipotle sauce, and it's absolutely perfect on fries - it adds great flavour, without being overwhelmingly spicy.

What do you think - will you be soaking your sweet potatoes in beer next time you make fries?

Beer-Soaked Sweet Potato Fries with Chipotle Mayonnaise Recipe

Serves 2.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 medium sweet potatoes
• 500ml (~2 cups) Mr. Beer Classic American Light or other light beer
• ?3tbsp oil?1tsp smoked paprika
• Salt
• Black pepper
• ?3tbsp mayonnaise
• 1/2 tbsp chipotle hot sauce (or favourite hot sauce)
• Optional toppings: grated cheese, avocado, spring onions, jalapeáos, olives

DIRECTIONS

Cut the sweet potatoes into fries - I cut mine quite thick and chunky. You can leave the skins on, or peel the potatoes first if you prefer. Add the potatoes to a large bowl, and pour over the beer. Leave to marinate for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure all the potatoes have a chance to be immersed in the beer. Heat the oven to 200°C (Gas Mark 6 / 400°F). Drain the beer, and add the oil, smoked paprika, and plenty of salt and pepper to the potatoes. Mix thoroughly. Spread the sweet potatoes out in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with baking paper (you may need to use two trays). Bake for around 30 minutes, or until the fries are crispy. While the fries are baking, prepare the chipotle mayonnaise. Add the mayonnaise to a bowl and add approximately 1/2 tbsp chipotle hot sauce - you can add a little more if you like your food very spicy. Add your desired toppings to the fries (I put mine under the grill / broiler for a minute or two to melt the cheese), and serve with the chipotle mayonnaise.