Hosting a brunch in November and December takes courage. Not only are there usually a lot of people in town for the holidays but there’s also not a ton of ingredients in season. Glorious summer frittatas overstuffed with fresh vegetables and oversized fruit salads seem like a long time ago. These days my farmer’s market is stocked with the last of the fall harvest and durable root vegetables.
But there are ways to make staples like eggs and potatoes festive and delicious. Mary-Frances Heck’s new book, aptly-and-simply titled Sweet Potatoes, is devoted to the subject and actually made me excited about cooking with spuds. One recipe that works for brunch or holiday parties is her Sweet Potato Galette. (And if you prefer, you can instead use squash, carrots or Yukon Gold potatoes.) Eggs are cooked with sliced sweet potato, onions and bacon on a bed of filo dough. It’s hearty enough to anchor your meal and Heck suggests serving it with a salad.
While the dish can certainly be paired with tea or coffee, I think it is even better with a beer, a Bloody Mary or a glass of chilled aquavit. It would also be perfect for a New Year’s party enjoyed with a glass of bubbly after the ball drops. The galette is certainly impressive enough for the occasion, “its wow factor is undeniable,” she writes in her book.
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And like any good brunch recipe most of the preparation can be done well in advance. Bon appetit!
Sweet Potato Galette
Created by Mary-Frances Heck
INGREDIENTS:
All-purpose flour, for dusting
1 sheet (about half a pound) Frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 medium Sweet potato (about half a pound), peeled and sliced into rounds (one-eighth thick)
.25 Red onion or 1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 Bacon strip, cut into half-inch pieces
1 tsp fresh Thyme leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Lightly dust a work surface with flour and unfold the puff pastry onto it. Using a rolling pin, roll the pastry into a 12-inch square. Place the puff pastry on the prepared baking sheet.
Shingle the sweet potato slices on top of the puff pastry, leaving a half-inch border all around.
Scatter the onion slices, bacon, and thyme over the sweet potatoes. Sprinkle the vegetables with a little salt and pepper.
Bake until the sweet potatoes are tender, the bacon is sizzling, and the pastry is puffed and golden, about 20 minutes.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and crack the egg onto the galette. Sprinkle the egg with some salt and pepper. Return to the oven and bake until the egg white is set and the yolk is still a bit runny, about 6 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Recipe makes two servings. TIP: The galette may be assembled and stored in the refrigerator the night before you plan to bake it.
Reprinted from Sweet Potatoes. Copyright © 2017 by Mary-Frances Heck. Photographs copyright © 2017 by Kristin Teig. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC.
