Whole-Roasted Sweet Potato with Sunflower Gremolata and Lemony Sour Cream
Serves 4
After I had the best whole-roasted sweet potato of my life in Tel Aviv (thank you, Port Said!), I knew I had to write a recipe for this loaded-up bad boy. The secret is to roast the sweet potato at very high heat, so it releases all its delicious sugars that caramelize on the skin. Then to brighten things up, I add sour cream (because what goes better with a roasted potato?) and a sunflower seed and basil gremolata, which adds some much-needed crunch and takes things over the edge into max tastiness.
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
4 sweet potatoes, scrubbed clean
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Sunflower Gremolata
¼ cup sunflower seeds
¼ cup finely sliced fresh basil leaves
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Grated zest of 1 lemon
½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 garlic clove, grated
Lemony Sour Cream
½ cup sour cream
Juice of 1 lemon
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Serving
Flaky sea salt
Fresh basil leaves, the smallest leaves you can pick
1. Roast the sweet potatoes: Preheat the oven to 450°F.
2. Place the sweet potatoes in a baking dish. Rub each potato with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Roast until the skin is crispy and beginning to caramelize, about 1 hour 15 minutes. You want the sugars to start seeping out and caramelizing.
3. Make the sunflower gremolata: Toast the sunflower seeds in a dry pan over low heat until fragrant, about 5 minutes, then roughly chop them.
4. In a medium bowl, toss together the sunflower seeds, basil, olive oil, lemon zest, salt, and garlic. Adjust the seasoning with more salt, if desired.
5. Make the lemony sour cream: In a small bowl, mix together the sour cream, lemon juice, and salt.
6. To serve: Split each sweet potato down the middle and fill each half with 2 tablespoons sour cream and 2 tablespoons of the gremolata. Finish with a sprinkle of the sea salt and garnish with the smallest basil leaves you can find.
NOTE Go with the smallest sweet potatoes you can find — they’re sweeter and easier to cook evenly.
Reprinted from Eating Out Loud. Copyright © 2020 by Eden Grinshpan with Rachel Holtzman. Photographs copyright © 2020 by Aubrie Pick. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Random House.
Eden Grinshpan is a chef, food personality, and the current host of Top Chef Canada. After earning her culinary degree at Le Cordon Bleu in London, Eden found herself chasing big flavors around the world, cooking in restaurants, and eating her way across Europe, India, Southeast Asia, and of course Israel, from which her family hails. She conceptualized, produced, and hosted Eden Eats, her first culinary travel show for the Cooking Channel. Her career in television sparked, Eden then went on to host and judge a multitude of television shows, including, Log On and Eat with Eden Grinshpan and Chopped Canada. Eden lives in Brooklyn with her husband, Ido, and their daughter, Ayv.