Camote Cue (Deep Fried Caramelized Sweet Potato Skewers!)

I recently learned about a popular Filipino street food called camote cue or kamote que. Camote is the Filipino word for sweet potato and cue, or barbecue, refers to their barbecued meat which is also sold on skewers. This heavenly snack is sold by vendors at about .25 cents a skewer and is a popular after school treat for kids. It is usually sold side by side with banana cue -fried caramelized bananas. The sweet potato is caramelized by the brown sugar that is added to the frying oil and from what I'd read, the caramel hardens and creates a sweet crunchy layer that leads to a gooey sweet potato. Sounded incredible!

I don't plan on taking a trip to the Philippines any time soon, so I decided to attempt making this delicacy at home and it was just as I'd read: crackly, sticky caramel, followed by warm, soft sweet potato -just like candy! Here's a standard recipe with my instructions based on my experience.

Camote Cue

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced about 1/2-inch thick

2 cups brown sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

wooden skewers

In pot, heat oil until boiling. Carefully add sliced sweet potato without overcrowding; cook about 5-8 minutes. Add sugar; when sugar has melted completely, begin to stir so that the caramel coats the sweet potatoes. When they are generously coated with caramel, with a slotted spoon, remove sweet potato from oil. Don't drain on paper towels because the sugar will end up sticking to it and you'll lose your beautiful coating. Instead, allow oil to drip as you scoop the sweet potatoes out and place on a plate; allow to cool until the caramel hardens, about 2 minutes. Thread onto skewers and serve warm.