PREPARATION:

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Use a mandolin to slice the sweet potatoes as thinly as possible. I leave the skins on but do not use pieces that are nothing but skin.
3. On the show I use a cast iron skillet, but any pan will work for this. A pie pan is a great idea. Brush a little butter into the bottom of the pan and in a circular motion, fan a single layer of sliced potatoes across the bottom.
4. Brush these with more butter and throw about ½ tsp fresh thyme leaves on top. Cover this with another layer of potatoes in the same pattern. Brush that with butter, add more thyme, and add a good pinch of salt.
5. Take the palm of your hand and press down on the potatoes (a little compression as you go helps keep things together). Our end result will be a nicely compressed, flat cake of potato goodness.
6. You are going to keep layering like this, fan after fan of potatoes, butter, thyme, salt, potatoes, butter, thyme, and salt again.
7. Compress down after every two or three layers of potatoes are down. Do this until you are out of potatoes (or energy).
8. Pop it into the oven and bake for about 45 minutes. Check it at 30 minutes and if the top is browning too much cover it with a piece of aluminum foil (this is particularly important if you opt to do this with white potatoes).
9. When a knife or fork pierces through the potato cake easily, you know it is done. Carefully place a plate over your pan and flip it over, the cake should come out and onto the pan and look, smell, and taste wonderful.

Watch the video:

1. Organic A to Z: P is for Potato