Poaching is popular again, and rightly so. Vegetables cooked this way don’t need to be insipid or dull; if not overcooked, they can show off their natural attributes and taste fresh and light in a way that you never get when roasting or frying.
When making this recipe, choose beautiful seasonal vegetables that are clearly fresh and flavorful. Baby turnips or corn will work too, and you can also add fresh fava beans, peas and green beans. Just remember to give your vegetables minimum treatment - don’t chop them up much and don’t cook them for very long. Serve the vegetables warm or cold.
Mayonnaise
1/2 garlic clove, crushed
1 egg yolk
11/2 tsp white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
grated zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp capers, drained well and finely chopped
1 bunch baby carrots, peeled
4 baby fennel
12 spears fine asparagus
8 baby zucchini
10 baby leeks
2 tbsp chopped dill to serve
Poaching liquor
21/2 cups white wine
1 cup olive oil
2/3 cup lemon juice
2 bay leaves
1/2 onion
2 celery stalks
1 tsp salt
To make the mayonnaise. Place the garlic, egg yolk, vinegar, mustard, salt and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor. Start blending and then very slowly dribble in the oil until you get a thick mayonnaise. Fold in the capers and lemon zest and set aside.
Wash the vegetables but don’t trim them too much so you are left with some of the stalk or leaves. Cut the vegetables lengthways into halves or quarters, depending on their size, trying to get similarly sized pieces. Very thin vegetables, like asparagus, don’t need to be cut.
To make the poaching liquor. Place the wine in a wide pan and boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Add all the other poaching liquor ingredients and bring to a simmer. Start the poaching by adding the carrots and fennel to the pot. After 3 minutes add the asparagus, zucchini and leeks and poach for a further 3 to 4 minutes. At this point the vegetables should be cooked but still crunchy.
Using tongs lift the vegetables from the poaching liquor and onto deep plates. Spoon some liquor around the vegetables if you like. Before serving, top each portion with a dollop of mayonnaise and sprinkle with dill. You can keep the remaining poaching liquor in the fridge to use again.
There are countless variations on this gutsy salad, all incorporating sweet spices, fresh herbs and some sort of lemony kick. My version is intense and will go well as one component in a feast of Middle Eastern salads, or just to accompany fried fish. You can serve it warm, as well as cold, with Freekeh Pilaf for instance.
2 lbs carrots
1/3 cup olive oil, plus extra to finish
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tsp sugar
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 medium green chiles, finely chopped
1 green onion, finely chopped
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground coriander
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp chopped preserved lemon
salt
21/2 cups cilantro leaves, chopped, plus extra to garnish
1/2 cup Greek yogurt, chilled
Peel the carrots and cut them, depending on their size, into cylinders or semicircles 1/2 inch thick; all the pieces should end up roughly the same size. Place in a large saucepan and cover with salted water. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes or until tender but still crunchy. Drain in a colander and leave to dry out.
Heat the oil in a large pan and sauté the onion for 12 minutes on a medium heat until soft and slightly brown. Add the cooked carrots to the onion, followed by all the remaining ingredients, apart from the cilantro and yogurt. Remove from the heat. Season liberally with salt, stir well and leave to cool.
Before serving, stir in the cilantro, taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve in individual bowls with a dollop of yogurt, a drizzle of oil and garnished with the extra cilantro.
The mild sweetness of beets offers an ideal background for the intensity of sharp orange and salty olive, creating an unusual yet delicious salad. Use Greek black olives of the dry, wrinkled variety. Having matured longer on the tree, they are saltier and more robust in flavor. If you wish to keep the salad more mild and fresh it also tastes great without the olives. Serve with Steamed Rice with Herbs to create a light and healthful meal.
5 small or 2 large beets
2 oranges
1 Treviso (red chicory)
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
3 tbsp chopped parsley
5 tbsp black olives, pitted and halved
3 tbsp grapeseed oil
1 tsp orange flower water
11/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
salt and black pepper
Place the beets in a pot, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Cook for 1 to 2 hours, or until tender - when you stick a small knife into each beet it should go in smoothly. Leave the beets to cool down in the water. Once cool, take them out and peel. Cut in half, then cut each half into wedges that are 1 inch thick at their base. Place the beets in a mixing bowl.
Take the oranges and use a small sharp knife to trim off their tops and bases. Now cut down the sides of the oranges, following their natural curves, to remove the skin and white pith. Over a small bowl remove the segments from the oranges by slicing between the membranes. Transfer the segments and juice to the bowl with the beets; discard the membrane.
Cut the Treviso vertically into 1-inch-thick slices. Break them up into separate leaves and add to the salad.
Finally, add the remaining ingredients and toss everything together gently. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then serve.
Treat this recipe as a blueprint for an infinite number of roast vegetable dishes. The point here is to lighten up long-cooked veggies with something crisp and fresh. You can use any of your favorite vegetables - rutabaga, potato, carrot, salsify, beet, cauliflower - and many other refreshing combinations at the end: chopped herbs such as basil or mint, grated lemon zest, harissa paste, crushed garlic or a mellow vinegar.
4 parsnips (11/2 lbs total)
4 medium red onions
2/3 cup olive oil
4 thyme sprigs
2 rosemary sprigs
1 head garlic, halved horizontally
salt and black pepper
2 medium sweet potatoes (11/4 lbs total)
30 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tbsp lemon juice
4 tbsp small capers (roughly chopped if large)
1/2 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (optional)
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Peel the parsnips and cut into two or three segments, depending on their lengths. Then cut each piece lengthways into two or four. You want pieces roughly 2 inches long and 1/2-inch wide. Peel the onions and cut each into six wedges.
Place the parsnips and onions in a large mixing bowl and add 1/2 cup of the olive oil, the thyme, rosemary, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and some pepper. Mix well and spread out in a large roasting pan. Roast for 20 minutes.
While the parsnips are cooking, trim both ends of the sweet potatoes. Cut them (with their skins) widthways in half, then each half into six wedges. Add the potatoes to the pan with the parsnips and onion and stir well. Return to the oven to roast for a further 40 to 50 minutes.
When all the vegetables are cooked through and have taken on a golden color, stir in the halved tomatoes. Roast for 10 minutes more. Meanwhile, whisk together the lemon juice, capers, maple syrup, mustard, remaining 2 tablespoons oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Pour the dressing over the roasted vegetables as soon as you take them out of the oven. Stir well, then taste and adjust the seasoning. Scatter the sesame seeds over the vegetables if using and serve at the table in the roasting pan.
Here’s a great recipe you can make heaps of and keep for a few days. It only gets better! As always, thick cool yogurt will make an excellent condiment.
8 cardamom pods
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp vegetable oil
12 shallots (about 10 oz in total), chopped
1/2 tsp brown mustard seeds
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
25 curry leaves
2 tbsp chopped fresh ginger
1 fresh red chile, finely chopped
3 ripe tomatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
1/4 cup cider vinegar
13/4 cups water
1 tbsp sugar
salt
21/2 cups peeled waxy potatoes, cut into 1-inch dice
2 small red bell peppers, cut into 1-inch dice
21/2 cups peeled sweet potatoes, cut into 1-inch dice
mint or cilantro leaves to serve
Dry-roast the cardamom pods and cumin and coriander seeds in a small frying pan over medium heat until they begin to pop. Transfer to a mortar and pestle and add the cloves. Work to a fine powder, removing and discarding the cardamom pods once the seeds are released. Add the turmeric, paprika and cinnamon and set aside.
Heat up the oil in a large heavy-based pot. Add the shallots with the mustard and fenugreek seeds, and sauté on a medium-low heat for 8 minutes, or until the shallots brown. Stir in the spice mix, curry leaves, ginger and chile and cook for a further 3 minutes. Next, add the tomatoes, vinegar, water, sugar and some salt. Bring to the boil, then leave to simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.
Add the potatoes and bell peppers and simmer for another 20 minutes. For the last stage, add the sweet potatoes. Make sure all the vegetables are just immersed in the sauce (add more water if needed) and continue cooking, covered, for about 40 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
Remove the lid and leave to bubble away for about 10 minutes to reduce and thicken the sauce. Serve hot, with plain rice and garnished with herbs.
Some wonderful beets are available in the summer months: small, firm bulbs, sold with the stalks and the leaves. Don’t throw out the leaves. Use them for salads, or sauté with a little olive oil, garlic and caraway seeds and serve warm with a dollop of crème fraîche. If you manage to get young beets you may want to roast them in the oven, covered in foil, rather than boil them as described below. They are more flavorful this way.
The preserved lemon relish can be used in loads of other contexts. Try mixing with cooked potato to create a salad or serving alongside oily fish.
2 lbs large beets
4 heaped tbsp chopped dill
1 small red onion, very thinly sliced
2/3 cup Greek yogurt
Relish
2 yellow bell peppers
3 tbsp olive oil
11/2 tsp coriander seeds
one 14-oz can chopped plum tomatoes (with their juices)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp sugar
salt and black pepper
3 tbsp chopped preserved lemon
2 tbsp each chopped parsley and cilantro
Start by cooking the beets whole in plenty of boiling water for 1 to 2 hours, or until they are tender; check by piercing them with a knife. Allow them to cool down completely before you peel them and cut into wedges.
To make the relish. Preheat the grill to high. Use a small knife to cut around the stems of the peppers; carefully pull out the stems with the seeds and discard. Place the peppers on a grill pan lined with foil and grill for up to 30 minutes, or until they are cooked inside and black on the outside, turning them over once during the cooking. Fold the edges of the foil over the peppers to enclose them completely, then leave to cool down. Peel them and cut into strips.
Pour the olive oil into a medium saucepan, heat up and fry the coriander seeds for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, garlic, sugar and some salt and pepper and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the preserved lemon and continue simmering for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the herbs and yellow pepper strips. Allow to cool down completely.
When you are ready to finish the salad, transfer the cool beet wedges to a mixing bowl and add the relish, dill, red onion and some salt and pepper. Stir well, then taste for seasoning. Just before you serve, add the yogurt and swirl it through gently. Don’t stir too much, so you get a white and red marbled effect rather than uniform pink.
Jersey Royal potatoes are at their peak in spring and early summer, which is just as well since they make a stunning picnic salad. This one is a poshed-up version of the ordinary spud salad and it’s just as satisfying.
15 quail’s eggs
1 cup petite peas (frozen)
13/4 lbs new potatoes, such as Jersey Royals, washed but not scrubbed
1 cup basil leaves
1/2 cup parsley leaves, plus a little extra chopped to garnish
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup grated Parmesan (2 oz)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp white wine vinegar
bunch of sorrel (or mint) leaves, finely shredded
salt and black pepper
Place the quail’s eggs in a saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Simmer for between 30 seconds (soft-boiled) and 2 minutes (hard-boiled), depending on how you like them cooked. Refresh in cold water, then peel.
Blanch the peas in boiling water for 30 seconds, then drain and refresh. Set aside.
In a separate pan of boiling water, cook the potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are soft but not falling apart.
While the potatoes are cooking place the basil, parsley, pine nuts, Parmesan and garlic in a food processor and blitz to a paste. Add the oil and pulse until you get a runny pesto. Pour into a large bowl.
Drain the potatoes, then cut in two as soon as you can handle them (they will absorb more flavor when hot). Add to the bowl and toss with the pesto, vinegar, sorrel and peas. Mix well, even crushing the potatoes slightly, so all the flavors mix. Taste and adjust the seasoning; be generous with pepper.
Cut the eggs in half and gently fold into the salad. Garnish with chopped parsley.
Filling a tart with potatoes is a real treat for potato lovers. Serve it with a green salad and you don’t need much else. You can use commercial sun-dried tomatoes in oil to save yourself making the oven-dried tomatoes.
11/2 cups cherry tomatoes
2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling over the tomatoes and for the pan
salt and black pepper
1 lb new potatoes (skins on)
1 large onion, thinly sliced
3 tbsp sugar
2 tsp butter
3 oregano sprigs
5 oz aged goat cheese, sliced
1 puff pastry sheet, rolled thinly
Preheat the oven to 275°F. Halve the tomatoes and place them skin-side down on a baking sheet. Drizzle over some olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in the oven to dry for 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 25 minutes. Drain and let cool. Trim off a bit of the top and bottom of each potato, then cut into 1-inch-thick discs.
Sauté the onion with the oil and some salt for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown.
Once you’ve prepared all the vegetables, brush a 9-inch cake pan with oil and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. In a small pan cook the sugar and butter on a high heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, to get a semi-dark caramel. Pour the caramel carefully into the cake pan and tilt it to spread the caramel evenly over the bottom. Pick the oregano leaves, tear and scatter on the caramel.
Lay the potato slices close together, cut-side down, on the bottom of the pan. Gently press onion and tomatoes into the gaps and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Spread the slices of goat cheese evenly over the potatoes. Cut a puff pastry disc that is 1 inch larger in diameter than the pan. Lay the pastry lid over the tart filling and gently tuck the edges down around the potatoes inside the pan. (At this stage you can chill the tart for up to 24 hours.)
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Bake the tart for 25 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350°F and continue baking for 15 minutes, or until the pastry is thoroughly cooked. Remove from the oven and let settle for 2 minutes only. Hold an inverted plate firmly on top of the pan and carefully but briskly turn them over together, then lift off the pan. Serve the tart hot or warm.
Here’s a complex salad that makes a whole satisfying meal on its own. In its center there is Manouri, a rich Greek sheep’s cheese that I use often. If you can’t get it, use halloumi or another softish, young sheep’s cheese.
1 lb Jerusalem artichokes
juice of 2 small lemons
4 thyme sprigs
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and black pepper
Basil oil
2 cups basil (leaves and stalks)
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley (leaves and stalks)
1 garlic clove, peeled
salt
2/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup olive oil
23/4 cups cherry tomatoes
salt
14 oz Manouri cheese (or halloumi), cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 Treviso or Belgian endive (red or white chicory), separated into leaves
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Start with the artichokes. Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon into a medium bowl and add about 21/4 cups of water. Peel the artichokes with a vegetable peeler, slice them lengthways 3/8-inch thick and throw immediately into the acidulated water to prevent them from turning brown.
Lift the artichokes from the water into an ovenproof dish. Add the thyme, the juice of the second lemon, 3 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon olive oil and some salt and pepper. Mix everything together, then spread out the artichoke slices. Cover the dish with foil and put it into the oven to roast for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the artichokes are tender. Take out of the oven and keep somewhere warm.
To make the basil oil. Put the basil, parsley, garlic and a pinch of salt in a food processor bowl and start the machine. Add the oil in a slow trickle. When it is all incorporated you will have a runny paste.
Place a large frying pan on high heat and let it heat up well. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and the tomatoes and char them quickly, shaking the pan to get even coloring. After 3 to 4 minutes the tomatoes should be lightly blackened but retain their shape. Sprinkle with salt, remove from the pan and add them to the cooked artichokes.
When you are ready to serve, wipe clean your frying pan and pour in enough olive oil to come 2 inches up the sides. Set on a medium heat and, once hot, fry the cheese slices for about 2 minutes on each side, or until they turn a good brown color. Transfer to paper towels.
Arrange some endive leaves on serving dishes. Build up the salad on top with warm cheese, Jerusalem artichokes, cherry tomatoes and more leaves. Finish with a drizzle of basil oil and serve at once.
My right-hand person with this book was Claudine Boulstridge. Claudine tried most of the recipes diligently and came back with criticisms, insights and general common-sensical observations. Despite her gracious nature I could always rely on her to tell me if something I’d come up with was utter rubbish. To top it all, she is also very creative. This is one of her recipes and it’s wonderful.
3 medium sweet potatoes (about 2 lbs in total)
4 tbsp olive oil
11/2 tsp ground coriander
3/4 tsp fine sea salt
1 fresh red chile, finely diced
1 cup cilantro, leaves picked
Dipping sauce
1/2 lemongrass stalk
3/4 cup crème fraîche
grated zest and juice of 2 limes
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Wash the sweet potatoes but don’t peel them. Cut each lengthways in half. Cut again lengthways into quarters and then once more in the same way, so you are left in the end with eight long wedges.
Place them in a roasting pan that has been lined with parchment paper and brushed lightly with some of the olive oil. Brush the wedges with the remaining oil and sprinkle with a mixture of the ground coriander and salt. Roast for about 25 minutes, or until the sweet potato is tender and golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool down a little. (The wedges can be eaten warm or at room temperature.)
To make the dipping sauce. Very finely chop the lemongrass or grind finely in a spice grinder. Whisk with all of the other ingredients for the dipping sauce and set aside.
When ready to serve, place the wedges on a large, flat serving dish. Sprinkle with the diced chile and cilantro leaves, and serve with the sauce on the side.
Ossi Burger, a dear friend who is famous for her lavish meals, always comes up with ingenious solutions for the one and only vegetarian in the bunch, her daughter Noa. Ossi recently told me her trick for a deep-flavored vegetarian broth - she adds prunes to it. I’m telling you, it works! You can keep the vegetables left over from making stock and serve them deep-fried, or even as they are, with mayonnaise or aioli.
Broth
3 tbsp olive oil
3 carrots, peeled and cut into sticks
5 celery stalks, cut into chunks
1 large onion, quartered
1/2 celeriac, peeled and roughly chopped
7 garlic cloves, peeled
5 thyme sprigs
2 small bunches of parsley, plus some chopped parsley to garnish
10 black peppercorns
3 bay leaves
8 prunes
Dumplings
1/2 lb russet potato (1 small), peeled and diced
11/2 cups peeled and diced parsnips
1 garlic clove, peeled
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup self-rising flour (see note)
1/3 cup semolina
1 egg
salt and white pepper
To make the broth. Heat up the olive oil in a large pot. Add all the vegetables and garlic and sauté for a few minutes until they color lightly. Add the herbs, spices and prunes and cover with cold water. Simmer for up to 11/2 hours, skimming the surface and adding more water when needed so that at the end of the cooking you are left with enough liquid for four portions.
Strain the broth through a fine sieve into a clean pan. Add some of the carrots and some celery or celeriac, if you like. Set aside ready for reheating.
To make the dumplings. Cook the potato, parsnips and garlic in plenty of boiling salted water until soft; drain well. Wipe dry the pan in which the vegetables were cooked and put them back inside. Add the butter and sauté on medium heat for a few minutes to get rid of the excess moisture. While hot mash them with a potato ricer or masher. Add the flour, semolina, egg, and some salt and pepper and mix until incorporated. Chill for 30 to 60 minutes, covered with plastic wrap.
Reheat the broth and taste for seasoning. In another pan, bring some salted water to a light simmer. Dip a teaspoon into the water and use it to spoon out the dumpling mix into the water. Once the dumplings come up to the surface, leave to simmer for 30 seconds, then remove from the water with a slotted spoon.
Ladle the hot broth into bowls. Place the dumplings in the broth, garnish with parsley and serve immediately.
Note: To make self-rising flour, combine 1 cup flour, 11/4 tsp baking powder, and a pinch of salt.
Here’s the perfect solution for all your vegetables. This tempura is breathtakingly delicious.
Dipping sauce
6 cardamom pods
grated zest and juice of 4 limes (about 1/3 cup juice)
1 fresh green chile
23/4 cups cilantro (leaves and stalks)
1 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp sunflower oil
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp water
About 23/4 lbs (net weight) freshly prepared vegetables (see method), such as: Jerusalem artichoke, beet, broccoli, potato, sweet potato, carrot, cauliflower, celeriac, baby leek, parsnip, kohlrabi, salsify, turnip
1/2 cup cornstarch, plus extra to coat the vegetables
1/2 cup self-rising flour
3/4 cup seltzer or sparkling water
2 tsp grapeseed oil
1/4 tsp salt
chile flakes to taste
3 cups sunflower oil for deep-frying
To make the sauce. Break the cardamom pods using a mortar and pestle and transfer the seeds to a food-processor bowl. Discard the pods. Add the rest of the ingredients and blitz to get a smooth, runny sauce.
Next prepare the vegetables. There aren’t any strict rules you must follow but try to keep them chunky and retain some of the natural shape of the vegetable where possible - for example, round vegetables cut into thin wedges and long ones into batons or strips. Here are a few useful suggestions. For cauliflower and broccoli, divide into medium florets; for beets, peel and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices or wedges; for potatoes and sweet potatoes, leave the skin on and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices; for Jerusalem artichoke, carrot, parsnip, salsify, turnip and celeriac, peel and cut into 3/8-inch-thick sticks, not too perfect; for baby leeks just trim off the green ends.
Before you start frying the vegetables, prepare a large plate lined with paper towels. Scatter some cornstarch for coating the vegetables on another plate. Place the batter ingredients - flour, cornstarch, soda water, grapeseed oil and salt - in a bowl and whisk well to get a smooth, runny mix. Add some chile flakes for heat.
Pour the frying oil into a medium saucepan and place on high heat. Once very hot, turn the heat down to medium. When frying the vegetables, the oil should be hot enough so you get a good sizzle but not so hot that they burn.
Deep-fry four or five pieces of vegetable at a time. Take each piece and toss it in the cornstarch. Shake to remove any excess, then dip in the batter. Lift and shake again, then carefully put into the oil. As they fry, turn the pieces over to color evenly. Soft vegetables like leek should take about 1 minute to cook, harder ones like beets 2 minutes or more. When frying, occasionally remove any burnt bits that float in the oil. As they cook, transfer the vegetables onto the paper towels and keep warm.
When all the vegetables are cooked, serve them at once, with the dipping sauce on the side.
When I was a student in Tel Aviv in the early 1990s I lived in the trendy center of the city, around Shenkin Street, and used to hang about in cafés with other students who, just like me, talked about meaningful things with an air of innocent self-importance. At the very heart of the center was a small café, called Orna and Ella’s, that epitomized the scene; everyone wanted to be seen there. And what symbolized Orna and Ella’s was their legendary sweet potato cakes. Here’s a modified version.
21/4 lbs peeled sweet potatoes, cut into large chunks
Sauce
3 tbsp Greek yogurt
3 tbsp sour cream
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
salt and black pepper
2 tsp soy sauce
scant 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
3 tbsp chopped green onion
1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh red chile (or more if you want them hot)
plenty of butter for frying
Steam the sweet potatoes until completely soft, then leave in a colander to drain for at least an hour.
To make the sauce. Whisk together all the sauce ingredients until smooth; set aside.
Once the sweet potatoes have lost most of their liquid, place them in a mixing bowl and add the rest of the ingredients (except the butter). Mix everything together, preferably by hand, until the mix is smooth and even; do not over-mix. The mixture should be sticky; if it’s runny add some more flour.
Melt some butter in a non-stick frying pan. For each cake, use a tablespoon to lift some mix into the pan and flatten with the back of the spoon to create a not-too-perfect disc that is roughly 2 inches in diameter and 3/8 inch thick. Fry the cakes on medium heat for about 6 minutes on each side, or until you get a nice brown crust. Place in between two sheets of paper towels to soak up the excess butter. Serve hot or warm, with the sauce on the side.
