Crispy Cheese Smashed Sweet Potato Pancakes

Notes

Crispy cheese-bottomed smashed sweet potato pancakes topped with a chilli oil fried egg, crème fraîche, pickled red onions and chives. Plant-based cheese works brilliantly here. Pesto also works in place of chilli oil.

Ingredients

• 4 medium or 6 small sweet potatoes
• 4–6 small handfuls cheddar cheese (or plant-based/vegan cheese)
• Salt and pepper
• 2 eggs
• 1–2 tbsp crispy chilli oil (Lao Gan Ma recommended; or pesto + extra oil)

Garnish: - Crème fraîche or yoghurt (plant-based for vegan) - Pickled red onions - More chilli crisp - Chives or spring onion, sliced

Instructions

1. Prick the sweet potatoes all over then microwave on high until tender, around 15–20 minutes.
2. Smash each potato between two sheets of baking paper using a burger press, spatula or pan.
3. Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add cheese to pan (no oil) in small rounds, roughly the same size as a smashed potato.
4. Top each cheese round with a smashed potato. Cook until golden and crispy, then flip and cook the other side until golden and crispy. Work in batches if needed.
5. Wipe the pan clean. Heat the chilli oil over medium heat, crack in the eggs and cook to your liking. Place a lid or bowl over the pan for 15–20 seconds at the end to set the egg white.
6. Stack the sweet potato pancakes, top with the egg, crème fraîche, pickled onions, chilli crisp and chives or spring onion.

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

• Calories: ~635
• Protein: 24g
• Fat: 36g
• Carbs: 56g

Estimated from the ingredients — amounts and serving size vary, so treat it as a ballpark.