Shrimp Cakes

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup cumin seeds
• 3 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
• 1 tablespoons coriander seeds
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 pound sweet potatoes
• 4 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 8 ounces peeled, cooked shrimp, coarsely chopped
• 2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2/3 cup finely ground breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped pickled or fresh jalapeños, seeds discarded
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
• Flour for dusting

Directions

1. Start with the spice blend. Put the cumin seeds, peppercorns, and coriander in a heavy medium skillet, set it over medium heat, and stir as they warm until they smell toasty and take on a little color, about 8 minutes. Set the pan aside for a few minutes so the spices can cool.
2. Pour the cooled spices into a blender or spice grinder; a coffee grinder cleaned by running raw rice through it works, too. Process until the mixture is finely ground, then scrape it into a small bowl and mix in the sugar and salt.
3. You’ll have about 1/2 cup of spice mix, and this recipe uses 1 1/2 teaspoons of it, so save the rest for another day. Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Poke the sweet potatoes all over with a fork, then microwave them until tender, about 15 minutes.
4. Coat the unpeeled garlic cloves with 1 tablespoon of oil. Microwave the garlic for a few minutes, just until it turns soft.
5. Once the sweet potatoes and garlic are cool enough for your hands, slip the skins from the garlic. Halve the sweet potato, spoon the flesh into a bowl, add the garlic, and mash everything smooth.
6. For the cakes, fold the shrimp into the mashed sweet potato with the cilantro, breadcrumbs, jalapeño, onion, and 1 1/2 teaspoons spice mix. Stir until the mixture looks even, then season with salt.
7. With your hands, pat the mixture into 6 patties, each 3-inches in diameter.
8. Give the shrimp cakes a light coating of flour. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil.
9. Cook in batches, letting the cakes get well browned; add more oil if the pan asks for it. Plan on about 2 minutes per side.
10. Move the shrimp cakes onto a baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees F until the centers are hot, about 5 minutes.
11. Bring them to the table with lemon, tartar sauce, and coleslaw.