Camotes Picantes con Miel

Spicy Grilled Sweet Potato with Serrano-Honey Glaze

I’m always surprised that so many people think of camotes, sweet potatoes, as something you only eat in the fall and winter. Sweet potatoes aren’t heavy on their own—only when you weigh them down with a lot of ingredients like butter. In Peru, boiled sweet potatoes are one of the traditional sides for ceviche, which is about as light as you can get.

During the summer, I love to grill sweet potatoes. Because they are on the grill only briefly, you need to blanch them first so they cook all the way through. You can blanch them ahead, but the potatoes need to be firm enough so they don’t fall apart on the grill. At home, I usually slice the potatoes into rounds and call it a day, but if you are having a party, you can cut the slices into fancy geometric shapes. Sometimes, when the potatoes are hot off the grill, I’ll sprinkle a little sugar over them and use a cooking torch to brûlée the top for that extra little caramelized crunch.

1 Cut the sweet potatoes crosswise into ¾-inch-thick slices; if the pieces are large, cut each slice in half. Or, carve them into bite-size circles or cubes. Put the sweet potatoes, cinnamon, and star anise in a medium saucepan with enough water to cover and bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender but still firm when pierced with a knife, 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes. When done, drain and rinse them under cold running water or dunk them in an ice bath to help the potatoes cool completely. Use right away or cover and refrigerate overnight. If the potatoes are cold, let them come to room temperature before grilling.

2 Prepare a regular or hibachi grill for direct, high-heat cooking. Blot off any water on the sweet potatoes and thread them onto skewers, 3 or 4 slices on each skewer, so they lay flat (side by side, not upright).

3 Brush one side of the potatoes generously with the serrano-honey basting glaze. Grill the potatoes in batches, sauced side down, until caramelized on the bottom, about 2 minutes if your grill is really hot. Mop the tops with the basting glaze, flip, and grill the opposite side until caramelized, a few minutes more. Brush the tops of the potatoes one more time with the glaze, let them cook another few seconds, and transfer the skewers to a plate.

4 Taste and drizzle a little more of the basting glaze on top of the potatoes, if you’d like, and sprinkle them with the sea salt and the sliced serranos (if using). Serve the potatoes on the skewers, or put them in a serving bowl and put the remaining serrano-honey sauce on the side for dunking.

Serrano-Honey Basting Glaze

Makes about ½ cup

Use this basting glaze on vegetables that already have a little sweetness, like kabocha or other pumpkinlike squashes, or mop it all over peeled ears of fresh summer corn before cooking. You need to add the glaze toward the end of grilling—the last 5 minutes or so—so the honey doesn’t burn. The serrano chiles need to hang out in the sauce for at least a day and up to several days before you use them—the longer the chiles sit in the sauce, the more kick it will have.

In a medium saucepan, bring the mirin to a low boil and cook until it has reduced by almost half, a good 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, whisk in the honey, and let cool completely. Put the sauce in a storage container with the peppers, cover, and refrigerate overnight. For a spicier kick, leave the peppers in the sauce for up to 3 days. When the sauce is as spicy as you’d like, strain out the peppers and store the sauce in the fridge for up to 3 days more.