Sweet Potato & Corn Cakes with Tamarind-Glazed Bacon

Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan/gas 6). Prick the sweet potatoes and the regular potato several times with a knife. Roast them on a baking tray until completely soft—this usually takes 45–60 minutes for the regular potato and 40–50 minutes for the sweet potatoes. Turn them halfway through roasting. Once cool enough to handle, scoop the flesh out of the skins into a bowl and mash roughly, ensuring you keep the texture chunky rather than smooth.

While the potatoes are roasting, prepare the avocado base. Scoop the avocado flesh into a small bowl and mash it lightly with a fork. Stir in half of the sliced spring onions, the finely chopped scotch bonnet (if using), the lime juice, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cover and keep chilled until you are ready to serve.

Prepare the corn and form the cakes. If using fresh corn, slice the kernels from the cob and boil them in salted water for 3 minutes, then drain and rinse with cold water. Add the corn kernels to the potato mash along with the remaining spring onions, salt, and pepper. Gently mix the ingredients, then shape the mixture into 12–14 patties, each about 1-inch thick. Place the cassava flour in a shallow bowl and lightly coat each cake on all sides.

Prepare the tamarind glaze and cook the bacon. In a small bowl, whisk the tamarind extract and honey with 1 tbsp of warm water until fully dissolved. Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add the bacon slices. After 1 minute of cooking, brush the top side of the bacon with the tamarind mixture. Flip the slices and brush the other side. Continue turning and brushing the bacon until the glaze caramelizes and the bacon is beautifully browned. Remove from the pan and keep warm.