I get an earthy, sweet, and nicely crusted effect by baking the sweet potatoes twice. This simple technique caramelizes the natural sugars. Smoked sea salt infuses the sweet potatoes with grilled flavor without grilling. Finish with Pecorino and you have big flavor that goes nicely with barbecue. Obviously, vegans will want to skip the cheese. But with or without, make sure you eat the whole potato, skin and all.
Ingredients
- 2 sweet potatoes (about ½ pound each)
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 teaspoon smoked sea salt
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons grated Pecorino cheese (optional)
How to Make It
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat the sweet potatoes with the oil and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until fork-tender, about 35 minutes. Set aside to cool. Increase the heat to 500°F.
- Slice the potatoes in half and return to the baking sheet flesh side up. Bake until the potatoes are blistered and begin to char, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the potatoes to a serving platter.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the smoked sea salt, sea salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Season the potatoes with the salt mixture. Drizzle the lemon juice over and garnish with the cheese, if using.