November 19, 2016
Here’s a quick new spin on the sweet potato. A flavorful sauce of garlic, ginger and chile packs a little punch, making it a welcome addition to the Thanksgiving table. After turkey day, these potatoes add some zip to a weeknight dinner of simple greens and a protein.
I’ve been buying these small Japanese sweet potatoes at the farmers market the past month or so. However, the other day I spotted a similar variety at Trader Joe’s called Murasaki Sweet Potatoes. These potatoes are a perfect mix of creamy meat and thin skins — no peeling required!
On evenings when we are having people over, I’ll go ahead and make the sauce and steam the potatoes earlier in the day. Then, when dinnertime comes, I crank up the broiler, smash the potatoes open –this step ensures that they soak up lots of sauce and get those little crispy edges – pour over the sauce and broil them until warmed through. Also, don’t forget to add a healthy pinch of sea salt and some fresh herbs for garnish before serving.
Don’t forget to check out my Carrot Cumin Dip recipe and enter to win a copy of the beautiful book The New Shingled House by New York-based architectural firm Ike Kligerman Barkley – all you need to do is leave a comment. I’ll pick a winner before turkey day.
Serves 4-6 as a side
2 lbs small sweet potatoes (see above), scrubbed clean
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 small Fresno or jalapeno pepper, sliced
1 tablespoon honey
Juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon sea salt and more to taste
Fresh herbs to garnish – pick one like Thai basil, wild arugula or mint
Steam the sweet potatoes in salty water for 30 minutes until cooked through and soft. Turn on your broiler and place your rack about 6 inches from the heat source. In a small saucepan melt butter. Once the butter gets foamy add olive oil, ginger, garlic and pepper. Simmer on medium until ridiculously fragrant. Take it off the heat and mix in the honey, lime and kosher salt.
When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, place them in a baking dish and squeeze slightly to open up – my kids love to help with the smooshing. Pour over the sauce and place under the broiler for 5 minutes until crispy and golden brown in spots. Keep an eye on them to make sure they don’t burn. Sprinkle with a good amount of sea salt and fresh herbs. Serve warm.
