Sweet Potato Pancakes & Quick-Pickled Shrimp
Sweet Potato Pancakes
This is a healthier take on latkes. I like to make mine bite-sized, so they’re not messy to eat if you have a drink in one hand. Serve with a dollop of crème fraîche or sour cream and caviar or applesauce.
Yields about 24 mini pancakes
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled
1⁄2 a small onion
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 T all-purpose flour
1 t kosher salt
1⁄4 t black pepper
Avocado or canola oil for frying
Preheat oven to 200 and line a sheet pan with paper towels and another with parchment and a wire rack.
Grate the potatoes and onion either by hand using the large holes of a box grater, or use the shredding disk of a food processor.
Transfer shreds to a double layer of cheesecloth, tie into a tourniquet and squeeze out as much liquid as you can into a bowl. Let liquid settle, then pour off liquid but try to reserve any potato starch (milky white residue) you see left in the bottom of the bowl. Add the shreds and remaining ingredients to the bowl with the starch. It’s easiest to mix everything together with your hands.
Heat 1⁄4” oil in a deep skillet or pot. Scoop 2 tablespoons of pancake batter and flatten into a little patty. Fry pancakes until they are golden on each side, about 3 minutes per side for minis. Don’t crowd them.
Drain pancakes on the paper towel lined sheet pan, then transfer to the wire rack to keep warm in the oven while you continue to fry the rest of the pancakes.
Garnish as desired with sour cream and/or applesauce, or caviar.
Quick-Pickled Shrimp
Delicious, elegant and easy. You can make these several days in advance, and that’s one less thing to do on the day of your event.
Serves 12
3-4 strips lemon peel (use a peeler)
1⁄4 c fresh lemon juice
1⁄4 c apple cider vinegar
1⁄2 c olive oil
Sprig of fresh dill, thyme or any aromatic herb you like
3 whole peppercorns
4 thinly sliced scallions
1⁄8 t red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 lb large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 bay leaves
1 T sugar
Stir together the lemon peel, juice, vinegar, oil, herbs, peppercorns, scallions, red pepper flakes, and 2 teaspoons kosher salt in a nonreactive container large enough to hold the shrimp and pickle liquid. I use a large glass storage container. Set aside.
In a large saucepan, heat 2 quarts of water, 2 tablespoons salt, bay leaves, and sugar to boilingto dissolve salt and sugar. Add shrimp, cover and remove from the heat. Let stand 3 minutes, then drain shrimp and bay leaves and transfer to the container with the olive oil mixture. Toss to coat shrimp thoroughly. Let cool, then refrigerate at least 8 hours up to 5 days.