More Sweet Potato Love

We had a bit of a party at the studio this week. We were so happy to welcome good friends and avid collectors Rick & Mary to spend the day with us, watching multiple Raku firings and in general having a very nice visit with all of us in the studio.

The weather wasn't as lovely as it could be, so we devised a warming menu of lamb/chuck burgers, with all sorts of fixin's!

Mary wanted the recipe for the Sweet Potato Fries, so that's what we'll focus on today. The burgers were freshly ground lamb and chuck from The Chop Shop, so needed very little in the way of seasoning beyond a dash of salt, pepper, and soy sauce before hitting a hot grill (thank you again, George Foreman!). Maybe a light sprinkle of smoked sea salt once on the grill.

To begin prep on the sweet potatoes, they were all cut, then tossed in some unfiltered olive oil and an herbed sea salt with a dash of cayenne. Thinly sliced shallot and chopped garlic were tossed in as well.

Next, fry up a pound of bacon (to be used as a burger topping)*. We use an electric skillet at the studio, but you can cook the bacon on the Foreman grill as long as you have a method to collect the grease. Pour off the grease and clean out the pan. When you're ready to cook up the fries, pour in some bacon grease so you have about 1/4" standing. Get it nice and hot (but not smoking) and add the sweet potatoes. I've not listed quantities, as you'll make as much as you want. We used about 6 sweet potatoes, so the pan was full. Toss to make sure the bacon fat is evenly coating the fries, then cover and let cook 5 minutes or so. Open the pan and give them a stir - you'll get some nice browning and caramelization on the bottoms. Give a taste for doneness and season as needed, they'll likely need a few more minutes under the cover.

Remove them to a paper towel lined platter to soak back a bit of the grease before serving.

Our burger buffet, also featuring saute-ed mushrooms (crimini/shiitake blend with leeks), caramelized sweet onions, avocado, and goat cheese.

Mary, if you have any questions, let me know. And if you don't mind, perhaps I'll share the recipe you'll be sending me for those delicious Nutty Apple Muffins when I get it!

*If you're not frying up bacon, you can use oil for cooking the sweet potatoes. We won't judge.