Roasted Sweet Potatoes

with Charred Shallots and Cashews

Makes 4 servings

As with many vegetable-forward recipes, you can take this easy fall side dish in either of two directions. The ingredients are all easy to find at any supermarket, or you could take a trip to the farmers market to buy a colorful mix of local sweet potatoes, as well as various alliums to combine with the charred shallots (I especially like cipollini onions). Both the shallots and potatoes get covered in a maple-vinegar glaze, which makes the whole thing taste like fall.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

• 1½ pounds sweet potatoes (2 to 3 medium), peeled and cut into irregular 1½-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 500°F. In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Scatter the potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until tender and caramelized in spots, 15 to 20 minutes. The potatoes can be roasted a few hours ahead of time and rewarmed in a skillet before adding the glaze.

Charred Shallots

• 2 medium shallots, cut lengthwise into ¼-inch slices (about ½ cup)
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a bowl, toss the shallots with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Heat a skillet over high heat until very hot, then add the shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until deeply browned and slightly softened (they should still have some crunch), 2 to 4 minutes.

For Serving

• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• ¼ cup champagne vinegar
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Roasted Sweet Potatoes
• Charred Shallots
• ½ cup toasted cashews, roughly chopped
• ¼ cup chopped parsley
• ¼ cup chopped chives
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Flaky sea salt

In a bowl, whisk together the maple syrup and vinegar until combined. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over high heat. Add the sweet potatoes and cook until warmed through. Add the maple-vinegar mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the potatoes are glazed. Add the shallots and cashews and toss. Transfer to a platter and sprinkle with the parsley and chives. Season with red pepper flakes, black pepper, and flaky salt. Serve.

The Takeaway

Here’s a great trick for getting ahead on dinner party or holiday feast prep: Roast a bunch of vegetables ahead of time, then pan-glaze them just before serving to bring them back to life. Here, the glaze is a simple mixture of maple syrup and vinegar, but you can play around with other sweeteners and acids. You’ll see this technique applied to roasted and braised meat later in the book as well.