"Patat ak Let"
Sweet Potato and Milk

Just like "labouyi", this is one of those traditional Haitian dishes I'm not too personally fond of. Just the concept alone sounds kind of weird. Potatoes and milk?? My husband grew up on this as did some of my extended family. However, my mom didn't make this too much when I was growing up. I learned this particular recipe from my aunt to which my husband and son loves. I will have to admit that the milk in the recipe is quite delicious. It's just the potato part that does it in for me. 
You have to keep in mind, we're not talking about any kind of potatoes. Russet, gold, or red potatoes will definitly not work here. Sweet potatoes are the key. Not just any sweet potato, but white sweet potato. Oddly enough, the white sweet potato literally has a red skin. In the spanish grocery stores, they're called boniato murasaki and look like what is pictured here:
This is a recipe that is extremely easy to make and you might actually like it. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Ingredients:

2 - 3 Sweet Potatoes
1 can of 12 oz Carnation Milk
2 Cinnamon Sticks
2-5 Star Anise
1/4 cup sugar (more or less)
1/8 - 1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/8 - 1/4 tsp Nutmeg
​4 cups Water
1 Lime peel (optional)

Directions:

1. Wash and peel about 2-3 sweet potatoes. The amount you use is based on the size. Although I have 2 pictured here, I ended up using 3. 
Cut them into large chunks. Based on the sizes at hand, each potato was cut into 4 pieces. Place into a bowl of cold water. This is important in order to keep them from oxidizing and turning brown. 
2. (Optional) Cut off a portion of the skin of a lime peel. You may save the lime for use in something else but place the lime peel aside for use in the next step.
3. In a medium saucepan, add 4 cups of water (more or less for the amount of potatoes you will use), 2 cinnamon sticks, 2 - 5 star anise, the lime peel (optional), and a dash of salt. Bring to a roaring boil on high heat. 
4. Drain the potatoes and gently place in the pot of boiling water. Boil the potatoes for 10 - 15 min or just until cooked/soft. The time frame is highly dependent on how small or big that potato pieces have been cut so be sure to monitor it closely. 
5. Once cooked through, dump out about 1/2 of the water from the pot and discard. Reduce the heat to medium and add 1 can of carnation milk. (Any type of milk can be used but I highly recommend carnation milk as it is what's traditionally used.)
6. Mix in the nutmeg, vanilla extract, and about 1/4 cup of sugar (more or less based on personal preference). Allow it to simmer for an additional 3-5 minutes or until the sugar fully dissolves. Be sure to avoid boiling on high heat as it will cause the milk to bubble over. 
The "Patat ak Let" is now ready to be served. Upon serving, be sure to remove the lime peel (if it was used) along with the cinnamon sticks and star anise. Enjoy!
Posted June 10, 2018
What type of sweet potato do you like in "Patat ak Let"? What are your thoughts on this recipe?
Let me know and comment below!