This is the type of dish that lifts vegetables to star status. All that's needed to accompany this is a simple salad made mainly from leaves and dressed with a vinaigrette or simple green vegetables, alongside a pan fried steak, chicken breast or some lamb chops. KISS - Keep it Simple Sweetheart!
INGREDIENTS FOR FOUR
POTATOES
500gm small sweet potato
salt
olive oil
SOUR CREAM
100ml sour cream
1Tbsp chopped chives
1-2tsp lemon juice
SPICY BUTTER SAUCE
50gm butter
1 x medium clove garlic
2tsp tomato paste
40ml hot sauce (see notes)
3tsp maple syrup
1Tbsp lemon juice
TO FINISH
black pepper
1 rounded tablespoon pepitas
4 x lemon wedges
1 rounded tablespoon chopped chives
COOKS NOTES
- Ideally the sweet potatoes need to be of similar size so they take the same amount of time to cook.
- I used Franks Hot Sauce in this dish which is available at major supermarkets.
- Taste spicy butter before adding salt, then add and taste again to understand the job salt does to balance out flavours and bring the party of ingredients together. It should taste ‘wow’!
- This recipe is based on an Ottolenghi dish. Thanks to Yotam and the team in the London test kitchen for sharing such awesome ideas.
- Pare this idea right back to simply grill sweet potatoes without any sauce. Short of time? Grill potatoes, serve with chive sour cream and your favourite hot sauce (Sriracha, Krunchilli etc.)
METHOD
- Place whole sweet potato in boiling salted water. Time 15 minutes and test with paring knife to check doneness. Ideally, they need to be about three-quarters cooked through as they’ll complete cooking when on the grill. Continue cooking if not ready. When cooked, remove from water and place on chopping board. Cool for 5 minutes, then slice lengthways in half to allow steam to escape and cool quickly.
- While potatoes are cooking, mix sour cream with other ingredients.
- Chop a further tablespoon or so of chives to use on serving.
- Toast pepitas in small frying pan over medium heat for a couple of minutes, tossing often. Once starting to brown and are smelling toasty, remove from heat to cool.
- Place cast iron grill over medium heat or turn on BBQ.
- Turn potatoes over and brush with about one tablespoon olive oil, ensure each potato is coated completely. Season skin side with salt.
- Place potatoes on grill skin side down, cook for around 3 minutes until dark grill marks are evident. Brush upper, cut sides with olive oil and season with salt. Turn potatoes over. Do not be tempted to move potatoes when initially cooking cut side down as the tasty crust may just stay on the grill. They need at least a couple of minutes to truly from a crust so they can be moved easily.
- While potatoes are cooking, make sauce. Place butter, crushed garlic and tomato paste in small saucepan over medium heat. After 2 minutes or so, with butter bubbling and garlic smelling irresistible, stir in hot sauce, maple syrup, lemon juice and a good pinch salt. Stir to combine and remove from heat. Taste to check balance of hot sweet, sour and salty and adjust as liked.
- Meanwhile, lightly crush pepitas in mortar with pestle,
- Remove potatoes from grill onto wide shallow serving plate. Pour hot sauce over potatoes, dollop on sour cream and scatter crushed pepitas, chives and finish with a few grinds black pepper. Serve with lemon wedges.
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