I have a thing for a sweet potato with a burnt bottom. these get rubbed in sumac, turmeric and cumin, roasted cut side down at 500 degrees F until charred, then dolloped with crème fraîche and a lemony chive, parsley and mint olive oil. sumac is a tangy, deep red spice made from dried berries, and here she does lemon's job before the lemon even shows up.

why these sweet potatoes work

cut side down, always. flipping the halves face down onto parchment means the whole cut surface is pressed against the heat. that's where the char comes from, and it's also where the spices toast instead of just sitting there. about 25 minutes in, peek under one. you want golden and charred, not pale.

500 degrees F is not a typo. the oven is screaming hot so the outsides blister and caramelize before the insides have a chance to go mushy. the flip at the end gives the skin side 5 to 10 more minutes, so you get a potato that's crispy on the outside and soft and creamy all the way through.

the spice rub got louder while I was testing. turmeric went from 1/4 teaspoon to 1/2, and cumin from 1/2 teaspoon to a full teaspoon. sweet potatoes are SO sweet, so the spices need to be bold enough to stand up to them: earthy cumin, sunny turmeric and tangy sumac, all at full volume.

the herby oil went from drizzle to sauce. the first version had 1/3 cup of olive oil. now it's 1/2 to 3/4 cup, to get it nice and saucy, and you decide where you land. stop at 1/2 if you like your herbs chunky, keep going if you want it pooling around the potatoes.

the herby olive oil, a.k.a. the reason you'll make this again

chives, parsley and mint, a full third of a cup of each, chopped and stirred into good olive oil with lemon zest, a grated garlic clove and a pinch of salt. it's bright, it's green, it's garlicky, and the mint keeps it from tasting like every other herb sauce you've had.

zest the lemon into the oil, but don't juice it. the zest brings all that lemony perfume without making the herbs go dull. the lemon itself gets cut in half and goes on the table, so everyone can squeeze their own. some people want a little, some people want to drown it. we're not here to judge.

bonus: this oil is delish spooned over eggs, grilled fish or a pile of white beans so don’t need to use it all on the potatoes. Totally ok to have leftover 

crème fraîche or sour cream?

either one, I mean it. crème fraîche is a little richer and more mellow, sour cream is a little tangier. both do the same job here: a cool, creamy blob melting into a hot, charred sweet potato. hot and cold, sweet and tangy, crispy and creamy. that's the whole point of this dish.

how to make sumac and turmeric roasted sweet potatoes

1. preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. give it time to get fully hot, because that blast of heat is what gets you the char.

2. slice 6 sweet potatoes in half lengthwise and keep the skin on. the skin crisps up in the oven and holds the soft insides together. ALSO eat the skin. It’s so good for you 

3. season the halves with 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon sumac, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric and 1 teaspoon ground cumin, and rub everything all over so every cut face is coated.

4. roast the halves cut side down on parchment for about 25 minutes. peek underneath: once the cut side is golden and charred, flip them over. Roast on a parchment lined tray to help with clean up 

5. finish roasting for another 5-10 minutes, then take them out of the oven.

6. make the herby olive oil: stir together 1/3 cup each chopped chives, parsley and mint with the zest of 1 lemon, 1 grated garlic clove and a nice pinch of salt. add 1/2 to 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, depending on how saucy you like it.

7. top the sweet potatoes with dollops of crème fraîche or sour cream, then spoon over the herby olive oil. finish with a sprinkle of sumac and maldon sea salt.

8. serve with the lemon, cut in half, on the side so everyone can squeeze it over their own.

what to serve with it

these can absolutely be dinner on their own (no one's stopping you), but they also love company. put them next to a roast chicken, steak, giant salad, honestly anything. They are the perfect side 

faq

do I need to peel the sweet potatoes?

nope, please don't. the skin stays on for this one. it crisps up in the oven, holds each half together when you flip it, and gives you something to grab onto when you're dragging a piece through the crème fraîche.

why roast them cut side down?

because the cut side is where the magic happens. pressed flat against the parchment at 500 degrees F, the whole face caramelizes and chars, and the spices toast right into it. if you roast them cut side up, you get a nice sweet potato. cut side down, you get a sweet potato with crispy, dark, almost candied edges.

can I use sour cream instead of crème fraîche?

yes! about 1/2 cup of either. sour cream is a little tangier and crème fraîche is a little richer, but both give you that cool, creamy contrast against the hot, charred potato. use whichever one is already in your fridge.

what does sumac taste like?

sumac is tart and lemony, with a deep red color and no heat at all. it's made from dried, ground berries and shows up all over Middle Eastern cooking. here she goes into the spice rub and back on top at the end, so you get her tang twice: toasted into the potato and fresh on the finish.

how saucy should the herby olive oil be?

totally up to you. 1/2 cup of olive oil gives you a thick, chunky herb mixture that sits on top of the potatoes. 3/4 cup makes it loose and spoonable, so it pools into all the nooks and around the plate. start with less, give it a stir, and add more until it looks the way you want.

more sweet potato on the site: my roasted sweet potatoes with herby tabouli and crunchy seeds, and my tahini and date sweet potato with buttery farro. 

enjoy! 

xo,

e