Sweet potato fritters with sage, bacon & fried egg

Coarsely grate the sweet potato and put in a large mixing bowl. Peel and quarter the onions, slice thinly, then add to the bowl. Season with the salt, mix well, then transfer to a colander and set aside for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, press down on the sweet potato and onions in the colander to remove excess liquid. Transfer back to the mixing bowl and add the chopped sage, beaten eggs, fennel, baking powder and flour, plus plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Mix to combine well.

Pour the vegetable oil into a large deep frying pan to 2-4cm depth and set over a high heat. Fry the 16 sage leaves, then transfer them into the oil carefully using a slotted spoon. Starting with the leaves is the best way to test if the oil is hot enough – they should fizz and bubble as soon as they are added. When they stop bubbling, lift them out with a slotted spoon onto a large plate lined with kitchen paper. Sprinkle with a tiny bit of salt.

Use a large spoon to dollop the fritter mix into the pan, about 60g per dollop. Keep the heat high and avoid overcrowding the pan – fill with 1 layer of fritters at a time. This will prevent the oil temperature dropping and means the fritters will crisp up nicely. Once the edges start to colour (about 2 minutes), flip them carefully and allow to crisp on the other side for 2 minutes more. Remove to the lined plate. Repeat in batches, until all the mix is cooked. It should produce 13 fritters (3 per person and 1 extra for the chef to test).

Pour any excess oil from the frying pan into a heatproof bowl, leaving a glossy base. Fry the bacon, in 2 batches if necessary, until crisp on both sides, for about 3-4 minutes, then remove to the plate.

Using the same frying pan, now with the bacon fat in it, fry the eggs to your liking – we prefer them sunny-side up, with runny yolks. Season the eggs while in the pan. Put 3 fritters on each plate, top with 2 strips of crispy bacon, 4 fried sage leaves and a fried egg, then serve.