Ainsley Harriott Plantain & Sweet Potato Rosti Recipe

This Ainsley Harriott Plantain & Sweet Potato Rosti Recipe is a vibrant island-style brunch dish that combines crisp-edged sweet potato and plantain rösti with fresh crab salad and a punchy hot pepper avocado. It is colourful, textural, and full of bright Caribbean flavour—the sort of plate that feels a little luxurious but is still rooted in simple, honest ingredients.

As Seen on ITV: Ainsley’s This Morning Recipe
If you have been searching for the vibrant this morning recipe that Ainsley cooked live in the studio, this is exactly it. Bringing a taste of the Bahamas directly to the famous kitchen, he showed viewers how to transform everyday sweet potatoes into a spectacular, crispy brunch plate.

Ainsley Harriott Plantain & Sweet Potato Rosti Ingredients

For the Crab Salad

• 275g lump white crab meat
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced
• 1–2 ripe vine tomatoes, deseeded and finely diced
• 1/2 green or red pepper, deseeded and finely diced
• 1/4–1/2 Scotch bonnet, goat or habanero chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
• A handful of coriander leaves, chopped
• Juice and zest of 1/2 lime
• 1/2 small orange, for squeezing
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

The Hot Pepper Avocado

• 1 large ripe avocado, peeled and destoned
• 1 small clove of garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• Caribbean hot pepper sauce, to taste

For the Rosti

• 1 large sweet potato, about 280–300g, peeled
• 1 large ripe or green plantain
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• 3cm piece of fresh ginger, grated
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1/4–1/2 Scotch bonnet or habanero chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 2–3 tbsp plain flour or gram flour
• 1 egg, beaten (optional and only if needed)
• Oil and butter, for shallow frying, as needed

Ainsley Harriott Plantain & Sweet Potato Rosti Recipe

How To Make Ainsley Harriott Plantain & Sweet Potato Rosti

Make the crab salad: In a bowl, mix the crab meat, spring onions, tomatoes, diced pepper, chopped chilli, coriander, lime juice, and lime zest. Add a squeeze of orange juice, season well, then toss gently so the crab stays in soft pieces rather than turning mushy.

Prepare the hot pepper avocado: Mash the avocado with the garlic, mayonnaise, lime juice and hot pepper sauce until creamy but not completely smooth. Taste and adjust the heat if needed — it should feel bright and lively, not overwhelming.

Grate the sweet potato and plantain: Coarsely grate the peeled sweet potato and plantain into a large bowl. Add the lime juice, grated ginger, allspice, chilli and thyme, then season with salt and black pepper.

Bind the mixture: Stir in 2 tablespoons of flour first and mix well. If the mixture feels too wet to hold together, add a little more flour. Add the beaten egg only if needed to help bind it into loose, spoonable mounds rather than a dry dough.

Shape the rostis: Divide the mixture into even portions and flatten them gently into rough rounds. They should look rustic, not perfectly pressed—that uneven surface is what gives you all those crisp edges later.

Shallow-fry until golden: Heat a little oil and butter in a frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the rostis in batches until deeply golden and crisp on both sides, turning carefully so they keep their shape.

Serve: Spoon the hot pepper avocado onto plates, top with the warm plantain and sweet potato rostis, then finish with generous spoonfuls of the crab salad. Serve straight away while the rostis are still crisp.

Recipe Tips

Squeeze out excess moisture if needed: Sweet potatoes can vary in water content, and if the mixture feels too wet, the rostis will struggle to crisp properly. A quick squeeze before frying can make all the difference.

Do not overcrowd the pan: Give each rösti enough room so the edges fry rather than steam. That is what gives you the contrast between the crisp outer crust and the tender middle.

Use a ripe but firm avocado: You want the hot pepper avocado to mash smoothly but still hold some body on the plate. If it is overripe, it can become too loose once the lime juice goes in.

Fold the crab salad gently: Lump crab meat is delicate, so mix it lightly and stop as soon as everything is combined. The aim is freshness and texture, not a heavily dressed filling.

Make It Your Own — Creative Twists

Choose ripe or green plantain depending on the finish you want: The official ingredient list allows either, which is useful because a ripe plantain gives a softer, slightly sweeter rosti, while a greener one keeps things firmer and more savoury.

Use gram flour for a nuttier finish: Ainsley’s ingredient list allows either plain flour or gram flour, so if you enjoy a more earthy, slightly deeper flavour, gram flour is a great option.

Adjust the chilli to suit your table: The recipe already gives a flexible chilli range in both the crab salad and the rosti, so you can keep it lively or push it hotter depending on who is eating.

What To Serve With Ainsley Harriott’s Plantain & Sweet Potato Rosti

This is designed as a complete brunch-style plate, so it does not need much alongside it. The crisp rosti, cool avocado and fresh crab salad already give you heat, richness, freshness and texture in one dish.

If you want to round it out a little, a few lime wedges at the table or a lightly dressed leaf salad would fit naturally without getting in the way of the main flavours. Ainsley himself has described it as an island-inspired brunch plate, so it works best when served simply and confidently.

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How To Store Ainsley Harriott Plantain & Sweet Potato Rosti

The rostis are best eaten fresh, straight from the pan, when the edges are still crisp. If needed, you can keep them in the fridge for up to 1 day and reheat them in a dry frying pan or hot oven to bring back some of that crust.

The crab salad and hot pepper avocado are best made close to serving. The avocado can lose freshness and colour as it sits, while the crab salad is nicest when it still tastes bright and newly dressed.

Ainsley Harriott Plantain & Sweet Potato Rosti Nutrition Facts

• Calories: 420 kcal
• Protein: 16g
• Carbohydrates: 28g
• Fat: 27g
• Saturates: 6g
• Sugar: 10g
• Salt: 0.9g

Nutrition information is estimated per serving.

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