Source: HowToCook (a programmer's guide)
Candying taro works on a two-stage principle: deep-frying creates the textural base (crisp exterior, yielding interior), then a thin caramelisation of sugar seals and crisps the surface as it cools. The sugar-to-water ratio of 2:1 is critical — it dries the syrup enough to set properly without burning.
Cut the taro into batons roughly 8 cm long and 1 cm thick. Thickness matters here: thinner strips finish cooking before they colour properly; thinner than 5 mm and they'll shatter. Heat enough neutral oil to submerge them completely to 160°C. Use a wooden chopstick to gauge temperature — the oil should bubble steadily around it, not ferociously (that's 180°C and will colour them too fast). Lower the taro in batches to avoid temperature drop. They'll sink, then float as the starch gelatinises and air pockets form inside. Fry for 6–8 minutes until the exterior is pale gold and a chopstick pierces the centre with gentle pressure — the flesh should give without resistance. Drain on kitchen paper and reserve the oil.
Make the caramel in a separate small pan. Combine 30 g white granulated sugar and 15 g water, then heat without stirring. Once the sugar dissolves, watch for small bubbles forming across the surface — this stage, just before the colour shifts from clear to pale straw, is your target. Don't darken it; the taro's own starch sweetness means you need only a light caramel to coat without bitterness. The moment you reach that pale straw colour, remove from heat.
Finely slice the spring onion and scatter it into the caramel immediately, then add the fried taro. Stir off heat for 20 seconds. As the mixture cools, the residual warmth will harden the syrup into a thin, granular crust on each baton — this is the candied finish. Work quickly; the sugar sets within a minute. Plate straight away before the coating becomes tacky. The contrast is the point: hot, yielding taro within, snapping sugar shell without.
Cook this recipe with FoodMind — your personal cooking wiki.
Cook this in FoodMind