Mary-Frances Heck made Sweet Potato "Big Macs", from her new cookbook, "Sweet Potatoes". Meet Mary-Frances at an event hosted by Chef Maneet Chauhan in honor of her longtime friend, tonight from 5pm to 7pm on the patio of The Mockingbird, 121 12th Ave. N. Nashville, TN 37203. The cookbook is called "Sweet Potatoes: Roasted, Loaded, Fried and Made into Pie" and it is available now on Amazon and at other booksellers. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @maryfrancesheck.
Sweet Potato “Big Macs”
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled (about 1 ½ lbs)
1 t kosher salt
½ t freshly ground black pepper
Neutral oil (such as canola or grapeseed)
4 sesame seed burger buns, plus 4 additional bottom buns
Burger Sauce (recipe follows)
½ head iceberg lettuce, shredded
24 dill pickles
4 slices American cheese
¼ c thinly sliced onion or shallot
- Grate sweet potatoes on a box grater into a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
- Heat the oil to a depth of ¼ inch in a large, non-stick skillet set over medium heat. Line a plate with brown paper or paper towels. When the oil shimmers, add 2 or 3 handfuls (about a ½ cup each) of sweet potato to the skillet in compact mounds. Let the sweet potatoes fry into a patty, like a hash brown or latke, for about 2 minutes. Flip and cook till the patties are crispy, 2 more minutes. Drain the patties on the brown paper. Replenish the oil as needed to maintain a depth of ¼ inch. Repeat with remaining sweet potatoes until you have 8 patties.
- Toast the buns. Line up the 8 bottom buns on a work surface. Spread 1 T of the burger sauce on each and then top with shredded lettuce and pickle chips. Place a slice of cheese on 4 of the bottom buns and a patty on all of them. Top the patties with onions, stack the burgers, and add the top buns.
Burger Sauce
¼ c mayonnaise
2 T grainy mustard
1 t pickle juice
½ t honey
2 T chopped dill pickles
1 garlic clove, chopped
½ t paprika
In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, pickle juice, honey, pickles, garlic and paprika till smooth. The sauce will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days.
