Author Notes
The Macanese have two types of Batatada: one with white potatoes and one with sweet potatoes. In both cases, Batatada is so moist from the potatoes that it is typically served unadorned, enjoyed as a dessert or a teatime snack. In the following pages we have included our recipes for both. Here is a very modernized interpretation of the white potato Batatada served to us at Dona Aida de Jesus’s Riquexó. The texture of Dona Aida’s Batatada was reminiscent of a dense cheesecake, so we ran with that and incorporated coconut yogurt for a little zing and seasonal fruit for garnish. We are probably going to authenticity hell for this, but we even added salted potato chips for crunch. Sorry, Aida... it’s delicious!
That being said, it is great enjoyed on its own with tea, as the Macanese do. Or treat this as a blank canvas for in-season fruits: We shot this book in the fall and used cape gooseberries, fresh figs, and pomegranate.
Reprinted with permission from The Adventures of Fat Rice by Abraham Conlon, Adrienne Lo, and Hugh Amano, copyright © 2016. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Random House LLC.
—Food52
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Ingredients
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6 tablespoons
unsalted butter, cut into small cubes, plus 1 tablespoon for the pan
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1 1/2 pounds
Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into rough 2-inch pieces
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1 cup
plain coconut yogurt
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1 cup
evaporated milk
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2 cups
sugar
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1/2 cup
potato starch
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2 teaspoons
vanilla extract
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Finely grated zest of 1⁄2 lemon
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9 egg yolks plus 2 whole eggs
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Fruit garnishes of your choice
Directions
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Prepare a loaf pan by coating it with 1 tablespoon butter, then line with a piece of parchment paper. Set aside.
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Place the potatoes in a pot and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are soft, about 15 minutes, then drain. Allow to cool slightly, then transfer the potatoes to a food processor and purée until smooth. Set aside.
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Preheat the oven to 375° F.
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Combine the coconut yogurt and evaporated milk in a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook, stirring from time to time, just until you see wisps of steam rising from the surface. Add the mixture to the potato purée in the food processor, along with the sugar, potato starch, vanilla, remaining 6 tablespoons butter, and lemon zest. Purée until smooth. With the machine running, add the egg yolks and whole eggs one at a time, puréeing until smooth after each addition.
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Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Place the loaf pan in a 9- by 13-inch baking dish and fill the baking dish halfway with water. Place in the oven and bake until set, browned on top, and a chopstick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 45 to 60 minutes.
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Fully cool before cutting. Slice into 8 even pieces, and serve with any desired fruit garnishes. To store, wrap the cooled cake tightly in plastic wrap and keep at room temperature for up to 3 days.
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