This is a dish I first had prepared by the great folks at Strong Arm Baking in Oxford NC. The brilliant concept of combining creamy roasty sweet potatoes and the salty sour crunch of pickled red onions changed the way I think about the humble sweet potato. I love this dish served warm or right out of the fridge a couple days later.
Ingredients:
3 tbsp white-wine vinegar
1/2 small red onion, peeled and cut into thin slices
2 1/2 tsp sugar
Salt and black pepper
5-6 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into roughly 1.5 inch cubes
6 Tb olive oil
pinch of ground allspice
handful of cilantro
3 oz goat’s cheese, broken into small pieces
handful of roasted pumpkin seeds
Directions:
Put the strips of lime skin in a medium bowl with the vinegar, onion, half a teaspoon of sugar and a quarter-teaspoon of salt. Massage the onions for a minute, until the liquid turns pink, then leave to pickle for at least two hours.
Heat the oven to 425F. In a large bowl, combine the sweet potatoes with three tablespoons of oil, the allspice, the remaining two teaspoons of sugar, half a teaspoon of salt and plenty of pepper. Transfer to a large baking tray, and roast for 20 minutes, until crisp and golden-brown, then toss in any oil left on the tray and leave to cool.
While the sweet potatoes are cooking, finley chop the cilantro, and combine the grated lime zest, the remaining three tablespoons of oil and an eighth of a teaspoon of salt to a bright green salsa.
Once the sweet potatoes have cooled, arrange them on a platter and dot evenly with the pieces of cheese. Drain the pickled onions, discarding the lime peel, and scatter on top. Finish with a drizzle of salsa and a sprinkle of roasted pumpkin seeds.