Sweet Potato Pancakes

When I go into a bookstore, I make a beeline for the cookbooks.  I could spend all day paging through instructions for baking the perfect cakes and tarts, braising tender meats, and sauteing fresh vegetables.  My favorites are the ones with large, glossy photographs.  I assume it's how some people feel with the latest fashion magazines.  The bright colors, the perfectly arranged dishes, just waiting for you to dig in - I soak them in.  And like the novels I read under the covers, flipping pages eagerly to see what happens next, I can't put them down.

 

So it's no wonder that Yotam Ottolenghi's cookbooks call to me from across a room.  His recipes are adorned with whimsical stories, his pictures vibrant and inviting.  You can hardly go wrong with any of his dishes, all reminiscent of his childhood in Israel.  This one comes with a tale about a cafe called Ella's in Tel Aviv and their legendary sweet potato pancakes.  If this version that Ottolengh imagined is anything like the originals, I understand the legend.  The savory and sweet cakes are are crisped up in butter, and eating them with your fingers straight out of the pan is what I imagine people must do all day in heaven.

Sweet Potato Pancakes
Serves 4

2 1/4 lbs sweet potatoes, cubed
2 t soy sauce
3/4 c flour
1 t salt
1/2 t sugar
3 T chopped scallions
1/2 t dried chili flakes
butter

Steam sweet potatoes until completely soft, about an hour.  Drain in a colander for at least another hour.

Place drained sweet potatoes in a bowl, and add the rest of the ingredients.  Mix everything together by hand; do not over mix.  Dough will be sticky.

Melt some butter in a deep frying pan.  For each cake, add a tablespoon of batter to the pan, and flatten with the back of a spoon.  Fry over medium heat for about 6 minutes on each side, or until browned.  Drain on a paper towel before serving, or gobble them up straight.