Breakfast for dinner?

Sometimes it's fun to swerve from the typical evening-meal lineup toward breakfast for dinner.

This recipe touches all the bases - there are crisped potato pancakes, with your choice of grated root vegetables mixed in (bonus: beetroot will turn the pancakes pink!), and a smoky protein, here in the form of salmon, but bacon could stand in.

Breakfast for dinner - it's a refreshing change of pace.

Root Vegetable Pancakes with Smoke Salmon, Eggs and Horseradish Cream

(Serves 4)

Serve with salad greens drizzled with an herbed buttermilk dressing.

Ingredients

For the horseradish cream

1/2 cup sour cream (may substitute plain yogurt)

2 tablespoons drained horseradish

1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Course salt

Freshly ground black pepper

For the pancakes

9 large eggs

450g assorted root vegetables, such as turnips, beets, parsnips, carrots, peeled and coarsely grated

230g potatoes, peeled and coarsely grated

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1/3 cup flour

Course salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup vegetable oil

230g thinly sliced smoked salmon (may substitute prosciutto or bacon)

Chopped chives, for garnish

Method

For the horseradish cream

Combine the sour cream, horseradish and lemon zest in a bowl.

Season lightly with salt and pepper, stirring to incorporate.

For the pancakes

Preheat the oven to 100 degrees.

Lightly beat 1 of the eggs in a mixing bowl, then stir in the grated vegetables and potato, the onion, flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.

Once the oil shimmers, use a half-cup measure to drop mounds of the vegetable mixture into the pan, flattening them to12cm rounds; you should only be able to fit in about 3 at a time.

Cook for about 5 minutes, until the bottoms are golden brown, then turn them over and cook for 4 to 5 minutes on the second sides, until browned.

Transfer the pancakes to a baking sheet, sprinkle lightly with salt and place in the warm oven.

Repeat, adding the remaining oil to the pan as needed, to use all the mixture, creating a total of 8 pancakes.

Working in batches as needed, fry the remaining 8 eggs in the same oiled skillet (medium heat), turning them over to cook on the second side, if desired, as runny or firm as you like.

Season lightly with salt and pepper.