As a lil fella growing up in the Caribbean I recall sweet potatoes being used in two primary ways. Boiled and served as a side with Sunday lunch (biggest meal of the week in Trinidad and Tobago) and as part of the ‘ground provision’ team in our rich, thick and delicious soups. Over the years (as an adult) this herb roasted sweet potato has been a regular guest on our dinner table.
You’ll Need…
3-4 lbs sweet potato
3-4 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon sea salt (use your fav salt)
3/4 tablespoon pepper flakes
1 tablespoon chopped Rosemary
4 sprigs thyme (leaves only)
4 large shallots (cut in 1/2)
3 small cloves garlic (crushed)
2 scallions (chopped)
Notes. If making this recipe gluten free, please go through the full list of ingredients to ensure they meet your specific gluten free dietary requirements. May I suggest you follow along with the video below, as much more about the recipe is discussed there. Including which sweet potatoes I used and how to prepare them for roasting.
Peel, cube (large chunks) and wash the sweet potatoes. Try your best to cut them in uniform a size, so they roast evenly. Drain dry then season. Cut the shallots in half.
While I’m not a huge fan of Rosemary, it’s excellent with roasted sweet potatoes.
In a large bowl mix everything with the sweet potatoes, except the scallions. That we’ll add at the end. Should you have chives, I’d say use that at the end instead of the chopped scallion (spring onion, green onion).
You may want to leave out the pepper flakes if you don’t like the gentle heat it will add to the dish, or if you’re serving this to little ones.
Set your oven to 400F. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper, before spreading the now seasoned sweet potatoes on a single layer. Onto the middle rack and roast for 15 minutes.
It’s time to flip the pieces of potato so they roast off evenly. Back into the oven for another 20-25 minutes.
As you take them out of the oven, top with the chopped scallions (or chives) and enjoy. You may also sprinkle on a tiny bit of sea salt (any finishing salt you like). As discussed in the video, I didn’t add any brown sugar or honey as I wanted the natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes to shine. However you can always add either should you wish.
