Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges

From the book Kitchen Sense by Mitchell Davis

Introduction

These sweet potato wedges are all about the flavor of the vegetable – they have no added sweetness, save for what the potato brings to the dish. There’s no need to peel the sweet potatoes; just scrub them well.

Ingredients

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. How you cut up the sweet potatoes depends on their size and shape. The idea is to create wedges, each with some skin on it. I usually cut very large sweet potatoes in half crosswise, and then I cut each half lengthwise in half again. From each quarter I then cut wedges radiating out from the center. Use your high-school geometry and your imagination. The important thing is that the wedges be roughly the same size and thickness so they cook evenly.
3. Place the wedges in a large cast-iron pan or other metal baking dish. Drizzle the olive oil over the potatoes and sprinkle with the salt and a generous amount of black pepper. Add the garlic to the pan, and using a large spoon or your hands, toss the potatoes to coat with the oil and spices. Roast for about 30 minutes, or until the wedges are tender and nicely browned around the edges. Toss them around once or twice while they are roasting to ensure even cooking.

Notes

ADVANCE PREP: You can cut the potatoes and toss them in the oil and spices in advance. While the potatoes are best served right from the oven, they are also good at room temperature.

LEFTOVERS: The potatoes will keep for about two weeks in the fridge. Reheat in a 300-degrees oven for 7 to 8 minutes. They are also good with eggs for breakfast.

VARIATION

Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges with Herbs

If you’d like to add a handful of chopped fresh herbs, such as rosemary, thyme, marjoram, or flat-leaf parsley, to the potatoes, do so 5 to 7 minutes before the potatoes are done. Toss in the herbs, stir the pan, and finish cooking. If you put the herbs in sooner, they will burn and give the potatoes a bitter flavor.

This content is from the book Kitchen Sense by Mitchell Davis.