Early Thanksgiving, Outside Edition – Sweet Potato Pancakes with Maple Cream

Traditions and celebrations with friends and family are important; they are the joyous events on the horizon to which we all look forward.

As last year was devoid of many of these festive occasions, we weren’t going to let our annual Early Thanksgiving dinner with friends slip by again this year. Even though all our guests were fully vaccinated, save a young child or two for whom the vaccine is not yet available, the Delta variant has made us all wary. Some of us work in public settings – the emergency room in a hospital, crowded schools – and we did not want to unknowingly transmit the virus to each other.

So we made some simple modifications for our 25^th Early Thanksgiving. We held it a few weeks earlier than usual, and, despite what could have been a mid-October chill, we celebrated outside on our lawn. It turned out it was warm – in the mid-70s – but we were ready to build a fire both for warmth and light if needed. (Fortunately we also avoided impending thunderstorms, which threatened late in the day.) We started in the afternoon rather than evening to take advantage of the sun, which dips below the horizon earlier and earlier each day as we progress through fall and move towards winter. And we used paper plates rather than our usual China; a formality we would have to forgo this year for the sake of simplicity.

I can’t tell you how good it was to simply relax with friends who we have not seen for so long. To catch up with their lives, enjoy a glass of wine, and share a tasty meal felt like a decadent treat. It reminds us how important social interactions are to our well-being.

Here’s hoping that you get to spend time with friends and family as we approach this holiday season, and that life returns to normal for us all in the coming months.

I’ve included this year’s Early Thanksgiving menu along with my recipe for Sweet Potato Pancakes with Maple Cream.

Appetizers:

Sweet Potato Pancakes with Maple Cream

Kielbasa with mustard

Sausage-Stuffed Mushrooms

Labneh, with pita to dip

Spiced Lamb with Pine Nuts in Phyllo

Spicy Pickled Green Beans with Sichuan Peppercorns

Horseradish Cucamelon Pickles

Kosher Dill Cucamelon Pickles

Shitake and Tofu Cups

Garden Vegetables

Main Meal:

Roast Turkey

Gravy

Mashed Potatoes

Corn Pudding

Butter-simmered Carrots

Green Beans with Fried Shallots

Cranberry Chutney

Dessert:

Orange-Brownie Tortelets

Apple Pie

Chocolate Brownies

Pound Cake

Sweet Potato Pancakes with Maple Cream

These sweet potato pancakes are essentially latkes, with sweet potatoes standing in for the potatoes. While I usually prefer applesauce over sour cream with my latkes, there should be no debate with this dish. The maple cream perfectly complements the crispy, fried sweet potatoes.

makes about 12, 3-inch pancakes, about 30 minutes

2 cups peeled, grated sweet potatoes (about 2 medium to large)

2 Tbsp. unseasoned breadcrumbs, flour, or matzo meal

1 tsp. kosher salt, divided, plus more for serving

¼ tsp. fresh ground black pepper

1 to 2 Tbsp. grated onion, or more to taste

2 large eggs

¼ inch vegetable oil

1 cup sour cream

2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup

1. Grate the sweet potatoes using a box grater or the shredding blades of a food processor. Wrap them in a kitchen towel or cheese cloth and twist it over the sink to wring out as much water as possible. This will allow them to fry and become crispy, without steaming. Some sweet potatoes do not have much water in them, so you may be able to skip this step. Place the grated sweet potatoes in a large bowl.
2. Stir in breadcrumbs, flour, or matzo meal, ¾ teaspoon salt, pepper, and grated onion.
3. Beat eggs in a separate bowl, then combine with the sweet potato mixture.
4. Heat oil on medium in a heavy 10 or 12-inch skillet, until a bit of the sweet potato immediately sizzles. Stir the sweet potato mixture in the bowl, and add heaping tablespoons to the skillet, flattening each with the back of the spoon into a pancake about 3 inches wide and ¼ inch thick. About 4 or 5 pancakes will fit into a 10–inch skillet.
5. Cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes, and flip using tongs or a spatula. Cook until the other side is lightly browned, an additional few minutes. Remove to a cooling rack and immediately sprinkle with salt. (The cooling rack will keep the pancakes more crisp and allow excess grease to drip, whereas the bottoms may steam if placed on a paper towel.)
6. While the sweet potato pancakes are cooking, make the maple cream by combining sour cream, remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt, and maple syrup in a small bowl. Set aside.
7. Sweet potato pancakes are best served hot, immediately from the pan. However, if you need to wait until they are all cooked, place them on a cooling rack on a sheet pan in a 200 ^oF oven until ready to serve.
8. Serve hot, with maple cream on the side.

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