Sweet Potato-Chipotle Pancakes

Ingredients

• 1 lb sweet potato, peeled
• 3 canned chipotle peppers, pureed
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• peanut oil, for sauteing
• sour cream or creme fraiche, for topping

Directions

1. 1

   Grate sweet potatoes using the grating blade of a food processor or the large holes of a box grater.

2. 2

   Transfer grated potatoes to a bowl and add in the chipotles, egg, and honey; stir with a rubber spatula to combine.

3. 3

   In a small bowl, whisk the flour, chili powder, and salt together; add the dry ingredients to the potato mixture; stir with spatula just until incorporated.

4. 4

   Pour enough peanut oil to come 1/8 inch up the sides of a large cast-iron or other heavy skillet and heat over medium heat until the oil is very hot but not bubbling.

5. 5

   While the oil is heating, line a baking sheet with a brown paper bag or a triple thickness of paper towels.

6. 6

   For each pancake, drop a rounded tablespoon of batter into the oil and press the cake down with the back of the spoon to create a thin pancake that is about 2 ½ inches across.

7. 7

   Be careful not to crowd the pan—leave about 2 inches of space between the pancakes.

8. 8

   Cook pancakes until they are deep brown and crispy on the undersides, then turn with a wide spatula and a fork and brown the other sides.

9. 9

   Lift the pancakes out of the oil, letting the excess oil drip back into the pan, and place on the brown paper to drain.

10. 10

    Pat the tops of the pancakes free of excess oil with paper toweling and serve immediately, or keep, uncovered, in a 200° oven while you make the rest of the batch.