Sweet potato trout, a traditional Canary Island dessert

Although when many peninsulars hear about trout with sweet potato they think it is a fish dish, the truth is that this popular dish is a traditional Canary Island dessert.

The reason why these Canary Island trout are not directly called empanadillas, which is what they are, is something that is lost in the mists of time. The truth is that they have always received this name in the archipelago.

The sweet potato, the main ingredient of this rich Canary Island dessert

As for the main ingredient of the recipe, the sweet potato, also known as papa dulce or sweet potato, is one of the main crops of the island of Lanzarote. It is a white or yellowish tuber present in many typical Canarian dishes, such as sancocho and puchero canario. Its sweet flavor makes it very appropriate for pastries, so it is used in the preparation of cakes, puddings and custards, among other recipes with sweet potato.

A sweet potato trout in half

When they are traditionally eaten

This typical canary sweet is very popular during the Christmas season. They are presented as small pastries filled with sweet potato and almonds and seasoned with grated lemon, cinnamon, aniseed and matalahuva.

During Christmas it is as common to see trout with sweet potato on the islands as polvorones or turrón. This delicious Canarian recipe is also enjoyed during the rest of the year, although to a lesser extent.

Although the sweet potato filling is the most common, you can also eat trout stuffed with angel hair, chocolate and other creams.

A tray of Canarian sweet potato trout

How are Canary Island sweet potato trout prepared

The dough from the trout is used to prepare empanadas, and you can buy them ready-made or make them yourself. As it happens in almost everything related to gastronomy, homemade is always better than bought.

Although they are usually fried, the recipe we are going to show you is for baked sweet potato trout. There are many reasons to choose this option: they are less labor intensive, they last longer without spoiling, the dough is crisper and they are healthier.

The preparation of this sweet potato trout recipe will take approximately 55 minutes: 25 minutes for the cooking and half an hour for the dough to rest.

Sweet potato trout, traditional Canarian dessert

Ingredients of the sweet potato trout

You will need ingredients for the dough, for the sweet potato filling and for the almond filling.

For the dough:

  • -A glass of dry white wine
  • -A glass of olive or sunflower oil
  • -400 grams of wheat flour

For the sweet potato stuffing:

  • -Half a kilo of white potato
  • -100 grams of sugar
  • -The peeling of a lemon
  • -20 grams of fried or roasted almonds
  • -Water

For the almond filling:

  • -250 grams of almonds without honey
  • -180 grams of sugar
  • -An egg
  • -Grape of a lemon
  • -One teaspoon of cinnamon
  • -One teaspoon of aniseed

Others:

  • -Glass sugar

Traditional sweet potato trout, in Marca Canaria

Steps for preparing sweet potato trout

These are the steps you must follow to prepare this popular Canarian dessert.

To prepare the dough:

  • -Pour the flour, oil and wine into a bowl and mix until you get a smooth dough.
  • -Form a ball, cover it with a cloth and let it rest for half an hour.

To prepare the sweet potato filling:

  • -Peel and cut the sweet potato into medium pieces, put it in a pot, cover it with water and cook it until done, about 20 minutes.
  • -Drain the water and mash the sweet potato with a fork until you get a mash.
  • -Mix water with sugar in a glass. Stir and let the sugar dissolve.
  • -Pour the water with sugar into the sweet potato, add lemon rind and mix it all together.
  • -Fry or roast the almonds, cut them into small pieces, mix them well. Wait for the dough to cool down before filling it.

To prepare the almond filling:

  • -Peel and grind the almonds, until they are a thick mince.
  • -Mix the almonds with the grated lemon rind, sugar, aniseed and cinnamon. Knead until you get a homogeneous mixture.

A bunch of sweet potato trout on a platter

Assembly of the sweet potato trout

The assembly varies depending on whether the recipe is made with homemade or purchased dough.

With homemade dough:

  • -Sprinkle flour on the counter, take portions of dough and roll them out as thinly as possible. Cut out circles with a pasta cutter or cup about 10 centimeters in diameter.
  • -With a dessert spoon, place some filling in the center of the circle. Dip a finger in water and run it along the edge of the dough. Fold it in half and press the edges so that the 2 sides stick together. Press the entire edge with a fork.

With purchased dough:

  • -Start the oven at 170 °C with heat up and down.
  • -Line the oven tray with a sheet of baking paper and place the trout on it, without touching it. Bake for about half an hour, until they are lightly browned and the dough is done.
  • -Remove the trout from the oven and place them on a rack until they are cold, at which time you can sprinkle them with icing sugar.

Delicious canarian trout

It is not necessary to wait for Christmas to come so that you can enjoy this wonderful dessert, one of the great stars of Canarian gastronomy. Following the advice we have given you, you can surprise your family or friends at any time with some delicious sweet potato trout.

Source photos: saborelanzarote.com, cocinaparaunosmetroscuadrados.com, deliciapalmera.es, elpatodechocolate.blogspot.com, cocinademeg.com, harinaliacanaria.es, Nestlé.

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