Braai sweet potatoes
In braai season, the focus tends to fall on meaty mains. But it’s important to eat a colourful variety of sustainably grown fruit and veggies every day. Throw a couple of sweet potatoes on the grill and try these four sexy sides.
1. Roasted sweet potatoes with atchar yoghurt
Take 4 orange sweet potatoes, wash and dry thoroughly. Rub with sea salt and olive oil, and wrap well in foil (shiny side in), then bake over hot coals until soft and tender. Meanwhile, stir 2 tablespoons atchar into 1 cup of plain yoghurt. Halve baked sweet potatoes and serve with a big dollop of atchar yoghurt.
2. Sweet potatoes with lemony crème fraîche
Boil 6 small sweet potatoes until parboiled. Halve lengthwise and thread onto soaked wooden skewers. Heat 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a pan over high heat, and mix well. Brush the potatoes with the butter and oil mixture, then chargrill over smouldering coals until golden and charred. Mix ¾ cup crème fraîche, the juice and zest of half a lemon, 2 tablespoons chopped chives, and sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Spoon over hot sweet potatoes and serve.
3. Mexican-style sweet potatoes
Take 4 sweet potatoes, scrub well, pat dry, rub with olive oil, wrap in foil, and roast over the coals until soft and tender. Split open and fill with crème fraîche, avocado, chopped red onion, halved cherry tomatoes, coriander and chilli. For a slightly lighter version, replace the crème fraîche with plain yoghurt.
4. Roasted sweet potatoes with spicy sausage
Take 4 sweet potatoes, rub with olive oil, wrap in foil and roast over the fire until tender. Roast 400 g sliced fresh chorizo for 20 minutes at 220°C on a pan lined with baking paper. Make a dressing: combine 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar with 1/3 cup olive oil, 1 crushed garlic clove, salt to taste, and a pinch of chilli flakes. Halve the sweet potatoes; add a spoonful of dressing and 1 teaspoon of thick mayonnaise; now bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Serve on bitter greens like endive or chicory; scatter with sausage and drizzle with the dressing.
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