Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes make me happy. As a child, I loved sitting down to the dinner table, slicing open the brown skin, and while the steam rose, mashing a thick pat of butter into the orange pulp. Sweet potatoes; so delicious, so versatile, and yet over the years I’ve stopped cooking them. I realized this recently, and have decided that instead of being mad at myself for this serious lack of judgment, in this new decade, I am going to have sweet potatoes at least once a month. As proof of my sincerity, here is a dish I created on New Year’s Eve.

3 Sweet Potatoes (classic sweet potatoes and Japanese sweet potatoes make a nice combo)
1 medium onion, cut into chunks
½ cup golden raisins
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1/3 cup Italian parsley, coarsely chopped
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon sugar
Several tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Several hours before dinner, start soaking the golden raisins in enough vinegar to cover them. In another bowl, combine remaining vinegar with sugar, add shallots and set aside.

Bake potatoes at 350 degrees (prick them first with a fork so they won’t explode), 45 minutes to an hour (or until fork passes through easily). Toss chunks of onion with olive oil, place on baking sheet, and put into the oven for the last 30 minutes that the potatoes are baking. When the onions and potatoes are done baking, remove from the oven. Slice the potatoes into ¼ inch rounds. Pour a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in skillet and place skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, place the potatoes in the skillet, flipping occasionally. Meanwhile, pour vinegar off of the raisins and shallots. When the potatoes have browned and slightly caramelized, remove from skillet and toss with roasted onions, raisins, shallots, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.