Recipe: Spago's Sweet Potato Crisp

SWEET POTATO CRISP

"A natural choice for your holiday dinner, like Thanksgiving or Christmas. At Spago, we like to serve this with squab, venison, or wild turkey along with Spiced Cranberry Relish."

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 pound Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, quartered and cut in 1/4-inch slices
1 1/4 pounds sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and cut in thinly sliced rounds, 1/8-inch thick
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted, divided use

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter ten 3-inch nonstick tart pans.*

In a 10-inch skillet, melt the 2 tablespoons butter. Over medium-high heat, saute the apples until lightly caramelized, 6 to 8 minutes.

Place the sweet potatoes in a medium bowl and season with salt, cinnamon, and pepper. Pour 1/4 cup melted butter over and mix well.

In each tart pan, arrange a layer of potatoes in a circle, one slice overlapping the other. Divide the apples equally, place on top, and cover with the remaining potatoes, again in a circle, one slice overlapping the other. Pour a little of the remaining 1/4 cup melted butter into each pan. For easier handling, set the pans on a baking tray.

Bake until crispy, 30 to 35 minutes. Invert the pans of potatoes onto the baking tray and if the underside has not browned, return to the oven for about 5 minutes longer. Serve immediately.

*These can be arranged directly on a baking tray if tart pans are not available.

TO PREPARE AHEAD:
Bake the crisps for about 20 minutes, finishing the baking at serving time.

Servings: 10
Source: Adventures in the Kitchen by Wolfgang Puck