Sweet Potato Bake With Shredded Plantain and Coconut Topping

This was created for Ready, Set, Cook 2006. The sweet potato bake is jazzed up by the topping of the shredded plantain. The fried shredded plantain is known as aranitas. In spanish this means, "little spiders." The little plantain threads are sticking out in all directions, thereby creating the "spidery" look.

• Ready In: 2 hrs 30 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 3  large sweet potatoes
• 2  eggs
• 1⁄3 cup  melted butter
• 1⁄2 cup sour cream
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 1  teaspoon ground ginger
• 3⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄8 teaspoon pepper

• TOPPING

• 2  green plantains
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄8 teaspoon pepper
• 2  tablespoons sugar
• 1  cup flaked coconut
• 1  cup canola oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Prick the sweet potatoes with a fork and roast them on a foil lined pan for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
3. Once they are cool enough to handle , peel.
4. Puree the peeled potatoes in the large bowl of a food processor until very smooth.
5. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend well.
6. Pour into a buttered 2 quart casserole dish and bake in a 350 degree oven for 40 minutes.
7. Prepare the topping while the casserole is baking.
8. Peel the plantain and run them through the grater attachment on the food processor.
9. Add plantain shreds into a bowl with the ginger, salt, pepper and sugar. Mix lightly with a spoon.
10. Heat the canola oil in a skillet until it is hot but not smoking.
11. Drop plantain mixture by tablespoons into hot oil.
12. Fry about three minutes on each side. (reduce heat if they start to over brown).
13. Remove to paper towel lined platter to cool.
14. Once cool, crumble the plantain.
15. Combine the coconut with the plantain.
16. Once the sweet potato mixture has baked for 40 minutes, add the plantain mixture to the top and lightly pat. Bake another 10 minutes.