Clean and wash the sweet potatoes. I like to use a potato brush accompanied by a vegetable wash. My “potato brush” is a dish brush with a cute flower handle that I use only for things like scrubbing root vegetables.
Once dry, cut the sweet potatoes into wedges or spears no more than 1/2 inch thick, but they can be as long as you like – it really depends on the size of the produce you end up with on any particular day. This time I used two large sweet potatoes, but in the past they have been much smaller, and so I ended up with smaller pieces.
Pour some olive oil into a small plate, you can use 1 tablespoon to begin with, and dip your wedges. Basically you will need as much olive oil as necessary to coat the entire surface of all the wedges evenly. Spread the sweet potatoes out on a foil covered cookie sheet spaced so that they do not touch one another. Squeeze lime juice over them liberally. Next, sprinkle them with crushed chili- as much or as little as you prefer. For this particular recipe I used Williams Sonoma crushed Aleppo Chili. If you have non spicy eaters, like children, you can substitute out the chili for a hint of paprika.
Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes or until you can easily press a fork into the thickest piece. If you have smaller wedges and you are concerned about burning, set the clock to 30 minutes and cook at 375 degrees. Then continue cooking at additional 5 minute timed intervals. You want them to start getting a little crispy and this is when you take them out of the oven.
The next step is really the trick to making this recipe work. Grill the wedges a few minutes on each side or until there are distinct grill marks. I have a grill surface on my stove but you can use an actual barbecue or a grill pan.
Now they are done and ready to eat. It is a very easy recipe and guaranteed to impress guests of all ages. And you can eat them with your fingers!
Xo
K
