Caramelized Satsuma Potatoes with Black Sesame

Rick Poon

Yields 4 Servings
AuthorSonoko Sakai

This recipe is excerpted from Japanese Home Cooking by Sonoko Sakai (Roost Books, 2019).

This is a versatile candied vegetable side dish. Because the Satsuma potato is basically a sweet potato, you can serve it with grilled meats or even with your Thanksgiving turkey. It also makes a great snack. Substitute sweet potatoes if you can’t find Satsuma potatoes.

How to Make It

1

Cut the potatoes into ½-inch-thick pieces. Soak them in a bowl of water for 20 minutes to remove the starch. Drain and dry the potatoes with a paper towel.

2

Combine the sugar, soy sauce, mirin, and 1 tbsp. filtered water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring frequently, until it comes to a boil. Lower the heat and cook for another minute. Remove from heat.

3

Heat the oil in a large nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over low heat. Pan-fry the potatoes, turning frequently, until toasted (but not burned) on both sides and a toothpick pierces a piece easily, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the potatoes from the pan to a bowl.

4

Clean out the skillet, add the sauce, and cook over low heat until it begins to boil, about 1 minute. Return the potatoes to the pan and cook, stirring with a spatula for another minute, or until they are coated with the caramelized sauce.

5

Remove from heat and serve topped with the sesame seeds.

Ingredients

 1 ½ lbs unpeeled Satsuma potatoes (1 large or 2 medium) or sweet potatoes (3 medium)
 4 tbsp cane sugar
 1 tbsp soy sauce
 4 tbsp mirin (Japanese rice wine)
 ¼ cup vegetable oil, or grapeseed or rice bran oil
 1 tsp toasted black sesame

Directions

1

Cut the potatoes into ½-inch-thick pieces. Soak them in a bowl of water for 20 minutes to remove the starch. Drain and dry the potatoes with a paper towel.

2

Combine the sugar, soy sauce, mirin, and 1 tbsp. filtered water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring frequently, until it comes to a boil. Lower the heat and cook for another minute. Remove from heat.

3

Heat the oil in a large nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over low heat. Pan-fry the potatoes, turning frequently, until toasted (but not burned) on both sides and a toothpick pierces a piece easily, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the potatoes from the pan to a bowl.

4

Clean out the skillet, add the sauce, and cook over low heat until it begins to boil, about 1 minute. Return the potatoes to the pan and cook, stirring with a spatula for another minute, or until they are coated with the caramelized sauce.

5

Remove from heat and serve topped with the sesame seeds.

Caramelized Satsuma Potatoes with Black Sesame

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