Japanese Sweet Potato, Shiitake & Caper Pancakes
Bringing together a few of my favorite ingredients to make these savory pancakes. Mineral-rich shiitake mushrooms bring the irresistible umami. Japanese sweet potatoes boost the nutritional value, add subtle sweetness, and hold everything together. And capers add a needed briny bite.
Delicious for pretty much any meal… just serve them with a poached egg in the morning, sliced avocado for lunch or alongside a hearty roast for dinner.
Note: I use stemmed shiitakes for this recipe, but like the save the stems to add a little umami to broths and soups.
Serves 6-8
YOU WILL NEED
1/4 cup coconut oil, avocado oil, or ghee
2 japanese sweet potatoes, grated
12-15 shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
½ cup aquafaba
1 shallot, grated
2 garlic cloves, grated
1 tablespoon capers, chopped
Zest from 1 lemon
¼ cup cassava flour or gluten free flour blend
Plant-based ricotta or sheep’s milk ricotta, for serving
Capers, for serving
Fresh flat leaf parsley, for serving
Lemon slices, for serving
Flaky sea salt, for serving
TO MAKE
In a large pan or cast iron skillet, melt coconut oil over medium heat.
Line a large bowl with a thin dish towel or cheesecloth. Add the Japanese sweet potatoes, shiitake mushrooms and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the bowl. Toss together and let sit for a couple minutes before completely wrapping the Japanese sweet potato and shiitake mixture with the dish towel. Squeeze thoroughly to remove any excess moisture.
Dump out any liquid that has been squeezed into the bowl and pour the Japanese sweet potato and shiitake mixture back into the bowl. Add in the aquafaba, shallot, garlic, capers, lemon zest, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Toss together. Add in the cassava flour and toss until well incorporated.
Using your hands, make palm-sized pancakes with the Japanese and shiitake mixture, pressing firmly to hold each together. Add these to the pan of melted oil and let pan fry until golden and crispy on one side, about 5-7 minutes. Flip each pancake to pan fry until the other side is golden and crispy, another 5-7 minutes.
Place the cooked pancakes on a serving plate and top with a little plant-based ricotta, more capers, parsley and flaky sea salt.
Serve right away with lemon slices.