SIDE DISHES

Sweet Potato “Pancake”

• 1/2 c. unsalted
butter, melted
• 5 medium sweet
potatoes
(about 1 pound 10
ounces)
• 3 firm, ripe pears
• salt and white
pepper (to taste)
• 3 T. maple syrup

A new Thanksgiving classic. Substitute butternut squash
for sweet potatoes or apples for pears, if you wish.
Preheat oven to 400° with a rack in the lower third of the
oven.Melt the butter. Peel and thinly slice sweet potatoes.
Peel, halve, core and thinly slice the pear. Butter a 9-inch
cake or pie pan. Arrange a layer of sliced sweet potatoes
in the pan, overlapping them slightly in a neat pattern.
Gently press layer with your hands to flatten it slightly.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and drizzle with a little
melted butter. Top with half the pear slices, sprinkling
them with 1 T. maple syrup and more butter. Add a
layer of sweet potato, then the remaining pears then the
remaining sweet potato, each time pressing gently and
seasoning as directed. Drizzle top with the rest of the
melted butter. Cover the dish with foil and then cover
with a lid. Bake in the lower third of oven for 40 minutes.
Remove lid and foil and bake until lightly golden and
tender, about 25 minutes more. If you’d like to glaze
the pancake further, place the pan directly on the floor
of the oven for about 5 minutes (watch carefully so as to
prevent over browning). Remove pan from the oven and
cool for about 5 minutes.

Carefully invert the pan onto a large round platter and
let the pancake settle. Remove the baking pan carefully.
Serve hot, cut into wedges. To prepare in advance, cover
the pancake with foil, then reheat. Serves 8.