Yield: 16 to 20 small cakes.
Spiced Crème Fraîche:
1 cup crème fraîche
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon nutmeg, grated
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch of sugar
Sweet Potato Cakes:
1 pound Neese’s Extra Sage Sausage
2 pounds sweet potatoes
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 eggs, beaten
¼ cup, plus two tablespoons potato starch
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
¼ cup clarified butter, more as needed
In a small bowl, mix the spices into the crème fraîche and set aside.
In a skillet, cook the sausage over medium heat until fully cooked, breaking apart as you go. Once cooked, spoon from the pan and place in a bowl.
Peel the sweet potatoes and chop into large pieces. Using a food processor, shred the sweet potatoes and place in a large bowl. (If you don’t have a food processor, you can use a grater.) Add the cooked sausage, onion, eggs, potato starch, and salt. Mix well.
In the skillet, heat clarified butter over medium-high heat. When it begins to smoke, take a heaping scoop of sweet potato batter, shaping into a ball with your hands, and place into the pan. Use spatula to flatten into a pancake.
Cook for about 3 minutes. When it browns around the edges, lift slightly with a spatula to make sure it has also browned in the middle. If so, flip it over and finish on the other side.
Place on a roasting rack-lined sheet pan and reserve in a 200° oven while repeating the process with remaining batter.
When ready to serve, top potato cakes with a dollop of crème fraîche.
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