WEEK 22: YOUR BEST SWEET POTATO RECIPE
Southwestern Spiced Sweet Potato Fries with Chili-Cilantro Sour Cream
Photography by Sarah Shatz
BY TASTEFOOD | SERVES 4
A&M: The brilliance of the sweet potato fry is that with all the sugar in the potatoes, you can really lay on the seasonings. Here, TasteFood has you use chili powder, cumin, cayenne, and paprika, which, as she pointed out, “complement the natural sweetness of the potatoes.” You might want to double the recipe so you’ll feel better about sharing. You’ll want to eat the first batch plain and the second tempered with the tangy sour cream sauce.
POTATO FRIES
2 large sweet potatoes, cut in matchsticks/batons, approximately ¼ × 2 inches
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
CHILI-CILANTRO SOUR CREAM
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
2 teaspoons sweet chili sauce
1 small garlic clove, minced
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 heaping tablespoon chopped cilantro
- Heat the oven to 425°F.
- Toss the sweet potatoes and olive oil in a large bowl.
- Combine the salt, cumin, chili powder, paprika, pepper, and cayenne in a small bowl.
- Add the spices to the potatoes and toss to coat.
- Arrange the potatoes in one layer on a large baking sheet.
- Bake on the lowest rack of the oven until the undersides are browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Turn the potatoes with a spatula and bake for 10 more minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the sour cream sauce. Combine all the ingredients except the cilantro in a medium bowl and whisk together. Stir in the cilantro.
- Remove the potatoes from the oven, cool for a few minutes, and serve with the sour cream.
Photography by Sarah Shatz
TIPS AND TECHNIQUES
TasteFood says: “When I make these I always double the batch, because they are gobbled up faster than you can say ‘Southwestern Spiced Sweet Potato Fries.’ I don’t peel the sweet potatoes, because the skin adds extra texture and nutrients.”
Maryvelasquez says: “This spice mixture and dipping sauce also taste delicious when used with regular potatoes, which I found out to night.”
As we discovered the hard way, cayenne’s heat varies a lot—start with ¼ teaspoon and add more if you like.
ABOUT THE COOK
Lynda Balslev is a food blogger who generously hosted the first Food52 potluck at her home in the California Bay Area, inspiring spinoffs across the country. See Smoked Ham with Pomegranate Molasses, Black Pepper, and Mustard Glaze; Whole Baked Fish in Sea Salt with Parsley Gremolata; and Broccoli Rabe, Potato, and Rosemary Pizza. Here’s her blog: TasteFood (www.tastefoodblog.com).
Her favorite recipe from a cookbook: “Big Chocolate Cake recipe from Ruth Reichl’s Comfort Me with Apples. It is hands-down no-fail; it pleases kids, adults, a crowd, and it tastes delicious.”
WHAT THE COMMUNITY SAID
More please by Margie: “Made these for dinner last night … was kicking myself for not doubling the recipe. Irresistible.”