Food & Wine USA - (12)December 2019

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70 DECEMBER 2019

Layer Up Ethereal sweet potato slices

stack up to a fork-tender masterpiece.

LAST DECEMBER AT THE ESSENTIAL, an all-day café in Bir-

mingham, Alabama, I tried a slice of the Sweet Potato Pavé

from executive pastry chef and co-owner Kristen Farmer

Hall. It struck me as something I wanted at my holiday ta-

ble. With its creamy layers and crispy edges, it’s as good

with a roast as it is with sweetened crème fraîche for des-

sert. And best of all, it’s make-ahead. “I love being a host,”

Hall says. This recipe lets us be just that. —HUNTER LEWIS

RECIPE FROM

THE ESSENTIAL

BIRMINGHAM,

ALABAMA

MOST WANTED

Sweet Potato Pavé

ACTIVE 55 MIN; TOTAL 4 HR 25 MIN,

PLUS 8 HR REFRIGERATION

SERVES 8

To get the pavé edges even crispier, skip

the oven roasting in step 6. Heat 2 table-

spoons oil in a large skillet over medium.

Add 4 pavé slices, and cook, flipping gen-

tly, until browned on all sides, 8 to 10 min-

utes, adding 2 tablespoons butter during

the last 2 minutes. Repeat with 2 table-

spoons olive oil, remaining 4 pavé slices,

and remaining 2 tablespoons butter.

1 garlic head, top cut off to expose

cloves

1 Tbsp. olive oil, plus more for

greasing pan

11 / 2 tsp. kosher salt

11 / 2 cups heavy cream

2 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves

(^3) / 4 tsp. black pepper
33 / 4 lb. sweet potatoes (about 6 medium
potatoes), peeled
(^1) / 4 cup unsalted butter, melted
Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Drizzle garlic cloves
   with oil, and wrap garlic head in aluminum
   foil. Bake in preheated oven until cloves are
   very tender, about 45 minutes. Set aside.


2. Lightly grease a 9- x 5-inch loaf pan with
   olive oil and line with parchment paper,
   allowing 2 inches of overhang on both long
   sides. Place kosher salt and 5 roasted garlic
   cloves in a large bowl; using the back of a
   spoon, smash into a paste. Whisk in cream,
   thyme, and pepper. Set aside.
   3. Using a mandoline, thinly slice potatoes
   lengthwise into^1 / 16 -inch-thick slices. Add
   sweet potatoes to cream mixture; toss
   gently to coat. Layer potato slices in bot-
   tom of prepared pan, slightly overlapping
   to create a shingled layer, trimming
   potato slices if needed. Continue layering,
   pressing occasionally, until potatoes are
   about^1 / 2 inch from top of pan. Discard
   remaining cream and potatoes.
   4. Fold excess parchment over potatoes,
   and cover pan with aluminum foil. Bake at
   350°F until potatoes are tender, about 2
   hours. Remove foil from pan, leaving
   parchment in place. Let cool 2 hours at
   room temperature. Place a second 9- x
   5-inch loaf pan on top of cooled pavé in
   pan, and weigh it down with unopened
   canned goods. Refrigerate 8 hours or
   overnight.
   5. Carefully remove top pan and weights.
   Pour off any accumulated liquid around
   pavé. Invert pavé onto a cutting board;
   remove and discard parchment paper.
   Cut pavé crosswise into 8 slices. Place
   slices on a rimmed baking sheet, and
   refrigerate 20 minutes or up to 4 hours.
   6. Preheat oven to 500°F with rack in
   upper third of oven. Brush pavé slices
   generously with melted butter, and
   arrange in a single layer on baking sheet.
   Bake until bottom edges are browned, 6
   to 10 minutes. Invert pavé onto a serving
   platter, and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
   Serve hot. —KRISTEN FARMER HALL
   FOOD STYLING: CHELSEA ZIMMER; PROP STYLING: THOM DRIVER

photography by GREG DUPREE