Dad doesn’t even like shrimp, and usually refuses to eat it, but he loves making and eating these shrimp cakes. The base is made with sweet potatoes and they are seasoned with spices, jalapeño chiles, and cilantro. This really is one of the best recipes on this site, so if you have even an inkling for making these, do it!
A Spice Mix for Seafood
This recipe calls for making your own spice mix by toasting and grinding a few different kinds of whole black peppercorns, cumin seeds, and coriander seeds. This makes about a half a cup of spice mix, but you’ll only need 1 1/2 teaspoons for the recipe. The rest of this spice blend can be used to season other seafood, like grilled salmon, sautéed shrimp, or seared scallops. If you only want enough spices for one recipe and you want to use already ground spices, try the following ratio: 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander, 1/4 teaspoon sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt.
How to Serve These Shrimp Cakes
These shrimp cakes are great served with homemade tartar sauce and some coleslaw on the side. You could also serve them on top of a leafy green salad.
A Freezer-Friendly Dish
If you love these shrimp cakes, stock your freezer! Cook the cakes, allow them to cool completely, then pack them in a freezer container or bag and freeze for up to a month. Let them thaw overnight, and then reheat in a 350°F oven for about 5 minutes until warmed through.
Try These Other Seafood and Fish Cake Recipes!
Cod Fish Cakes Salmon Patties Crab Cakes Tuna Patties
You can also roast the sweet potatoes in the oven, if you prefer. Grind spices in a blender or spice grinder (can use a coffee grinder that has been cleaned by grinding raw rice) until finely ground. Transfer to a small bowl, stir in sugar and salt. This makes about half a cup. You’ll only need 1 1/2 teaspoons of the spice mix for one shrimp cakes recipe, so store the remainder for future use. Rub one tablespoon of oil over the unpeeled garlic cloves. Cook in microwave a few minutes, until soft. Let the garlic and sweet potatoes cool enough to handle. Peel the garlic. Cut the sweet potato in half and use a spoon to scoop out the flesh. Combine the cooked sweet potato and garlic in a bowl and mash until smooth. Working in batches, cook the shrimp cakes until nicely browned, adding more oil as needed, about 2 minutes per side. Adapted ever so slightly from Shrimp and Sweet Potato Cakes with Chaote Slaw and Chipotle Sauce, a Bon Appetit recipe on Epicurious.com.
