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1
Soak the julienned potatoes in a bowl of cold water for 30 minutes to remove excess starch (this makes the fried potatoes crisper).
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2
Drain the potatoes, spread them out on a paper towel, and dry them well.
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3
Before frying, sprinkle pinches of salt and sugar over the potatoes and toss by hand.
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4
Heat 3 inches of vegetable oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed skillet to 320 F. Add one-third to half the sweet potatoes (according to the size of your skillet) and cook over low heat until they are crisp and begin to acquire a light golden color, about 10 minutes.
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5
During cooking, maintain the temperature of the oil at about 260 F (slow frying removes moisture gradually and completely without browning).
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6
Remove the fried strips from the oil all at once using a large fine-mesh skimmer and transfer them to a paper towel laid on top of newspaper.
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7
While they are hot, separate the sticks with chopsticks or with your fingers.
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8
Sprinkle an additional pinch of salt over the strips and toss.
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9
Fry the remaining batch or two.
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10
Heat the grill or other heat source and cook the asparagus until the outside begins to blister, 30 seconds or so.
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11
Line up all the filling ingredients fried sweet potato, asparagus, shiitake mushrooms, white sesame seeds, and wasabi paste (optional)on a tray, then follow the Master Recipe.
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12
ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS
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13
You can fry the sweet potatoes half a day in advance, but prepare the rolls just before serving to ensure the most crispy sweet potatoes.
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14
If you wish, smear a small quantity of wasabi on the nori before adding the potatoes.
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15
Serve with the sushi dipping sauce.
