Sweet Potato Rosti with Smoked Trout

serves 6

This may be the perfect one bite appetizer. They can be made completely ahead of time, or done slowly throughout the evening, rolling them out as they are gobbled up. The Rosti (a typical Swiss dish of grated potato fried into round patties), are so delicious and simple that they can be eaten on their own, or with any number of toppings you can dream up. Here I pair them with herbed creme fraiche, hot smoked trout (or salmon) and radish. 

Sweet Potato (orange fleshed) - 1 ea large
Green Onion - 2 ea
Egg - 1 ea
Watermelon Radish (or Red Radish) - 2 ea
Pickled Shallots (optional, see note) - 1 TB
Creme Fraiche - 3 TB
Chives - 5 ea
Parsley - 3 sprigs
Lemon - 1 ea
Salt - 1 1/4 tsp.
EVO for cooking
Pepper

Grate the sweet potato. Peel and grate into a bowl. Add 1 TB salt and toss to combine. Let sit at least 10 minutes. The salt will draw the water out of the sweet potato. Don’t worry, most of it will be removed! While it is sitting, crack the egg into a large bowl and mix. Slice the green onions thinly and add to the egg. Set aside.

Make the herbed creme fraiche. Finely chop the chive (reserved one chive for garnish) and the parsley. Add to creme fraiche along with the zest from the lemon, 1/4 tsp salt and 3 grinds of pepper. Stir to combine.

Squeeze the sweet potato. Grabbing small handfuls at a time, squeeze as much liquid as possible from grated sweet potato. The drier the better! Place into the bowl with the egg and the green onion. Add 1 tsp salt and 5 grinds of black pepper. Using your hands, combine the mixture well.

Cook the sweet potato. Heat pan over medium low heat. Add 1 TB olive oil. With your hands, form four golf ball sized rounds of the sweet potato mixture. Place in pan and flatten with a spatula to 1/4 inch thick. Cook over medium low heat until golden on one side, about 3 minutes. Flip and continue cooking 2 more minutes on second side. Remove to a paper towel lined plate. Continue until all of the sweet potatoes are cooked! Yields 12-14 Rosti. 

Assemble the Rosti. Place the Rosti on a long platter or board. I usually assemble six at a time. Dab a little spoonful of the creme fraiche on each. Press out to coat the top. Shave the radish thinly on a mandolin. Top each Rosti with two sliced of radish. Add pieces of the smoked fish, top with a few pickled shallots and chives. Serve them up!

 


Pickled Shallots

If you have extra time one evening, say while veggies are roasting in the oven, whip up a quick batch of pickled shallots. This amount(enough to fill two 8 oz. ball jars) will last for many months in the fridge, and are delicious sprinkled in salads or on sweet potato rosti!

8-9 Shallots - peeled and sliced thinly, preferably on mandolin
Red Wine Vinegar - 3/4 cup
White Wine Vinegar - 1/4 cup
Water - 1/2 cup
Sugar - 1/4 cup
Salt - 1 TB + 1 tsp
Thyme Sprigs
Glass Jars - 2 x 8 oz Ball Jars with lids

Combine all except shallots and thyme in a saucepan. Heat to low simmer and turn off heat. Make sure all of the sugar and salt is dissolved. Cool for a few minutes. Place the sliced shallots in the two ball jars. Tuck a sprig of thyme into each one. Pour the liquid over shallots. Press shallots into liquid so they are completely submerged. Cover and place in fridge; good to use after one day. Great after three. Will keep up to 3 months.