Charred Sweet Potatoes with Sausage and Radicchio

Two sunny days and suddenly it feels like things are getting better. I went for a run yesterday, David took Bernie for a long tongue-wagging walk, a good time was had by all. While we have at least a month before we do, going back to work is starting to feel within reach. We are finding productive ways to fill our time until then, and hope to spend more of it outside now.

After spending most of April in our apartment, with nothing to do but bake, we’ve resolved to be a little bit more conscious of how we eat this month. I don’t believe in deprivation, so for us that just means incorporating more nutritious elements into the foods we love. This recipe is a great start. There are healthy elements, with sweet potatoes providing starch but also beneficial fiber and vitamins, and salad as the base. But then there are pecans cooked in butter, and crisped sausage lending a salty, rich depth. All served over a limey yogurt sauce, for the perfect blend of flavors and textures in each bite.

Charred Sweet Potatoes with Sausage and Radicchio

Recipe by Too Many Spoons
Servings

4

servings
Cost

22

$
Total time

1

hour 

10

minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 garlic clove, crushed

  • 5 Tbsp olive oil, divided

  • 3 large sweet potatoes

  • 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

  • 1 lime, zested then cut in half

  • 1/2 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste

  • 1 head radicchio

  • 2 Tbsp unsalted butter

  • 1/2 tsp cumin

  • 1/2 tsp Aleppo pepper flakes

  • 1/4 cup chopped pecans

  • 1 lb sweet Italian pork sausage

  • herbs for garnish: parsley, mint, etc

Directions

  • Preheat the oven to 400. Mix the crushed garlic with 3 Tbsp olive oil. Prick the sweet potatoes all over with a fork, so they don’t burst, then brush the skins with the garlic oil. You’ll have some oil left over-keep it aside for later. Roast the potatoes for 50 minutes, until fork-tender, turning halfway through.
  • After you turn the sweet potatoes (25 minutes in), it’s time to prepare everything else.
    Mix the yogurt with 1/2 tsp lime zest, 1 Tbsp olive oil, and 1/2 tsp sea salt. Set aside for serving.
  • Cut the radicchio in half through the core, then tear off the leaves in smallish strips. Place the leaves in a bowl. Squeeze half the lime over, drizzle with 1 Tbsp olive oil and sprinkle with salt, then gently massage the leaves.
  • Heat 2 Tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the cumin and pepper flakes, swirl, then add the pecans and cook for 5 minutes, shaking gently. Remove the pecans to a bowl.
  • Wipe out the skillet, then use it to cook the sausage over medium-high for 8 minutes, until it looks fully cooked and crumbly, with some crispy bits. Remove to a bowl.
  • When the potatoes are done, cut them in half lengthwise and brush the flesh with the remaining garlic oil. Place the potatoes cut side down in the same skillet. No need to wipe it out unless you have a lot of excess grease. A bit of sausage drippings only adds to the yum. Cook for 5 minutes until lightly charred. Remove from the pan and cut in half again, lengthwise.
  • To serve, smear some yogurt on a plate. Add a handful of radicchio, then 3 sweet potato quarters. Sprinkle a quarter of the sausage and nuts over the potatoes. Squeeze a little lime juice over from the remaining lime half, then sprinkle any herbs over everything. Repeat x3.

Recipe Notes

  • This isn’t the easiest to eat as is, so after taking a pretty picture I make rough cuts through the whole plate and stir it together a bit to get everything evenly distributed.
  • Adapted from Bon Appetit, January 2015
 

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