GRILLED SWEET POTATOES
WITH POMEGRANATE MOLASSES
When it comes to Thanksgiving, there are certain traditions that you just don’t mess with. Whether it’s the stuffing that
simply MUST include mushrooms or cornbread, or grandma’s sweet potato casserole with the torched
mini marshmallows, here are dishes that get trotted out, year after year.
This dish from Madcapra is a bit of a Middle Eastern spin on a Thanksgiving staple: sweet potatoes. Brushed with garlic oil
and grilled to a perfect char, these sweet potatoes are a downright dream with a dollop of tangy yogurt, a sprinkling of salty
olives and tart pomegranate seeds, and a drizzle of complex pomegranate molasses. This is the kind of thing you can use to
inject a little life into your dinner, all winter long.
While I’m definitely not about to suggest you tell Grandma to relinquish the sweet potatoes this year (I’m not crazy after all),
I will tell you that this would make the perfect Friends giving side, and might even find a place
on your family’s Thanksgiving table – right next to grandma’s casserole, of course.
SERVES 4-6 people
INGREDIENTS
6 medium sweet potatoes, already roasted
1 clove garlic, finely grated or crushed
3 T olive oil + additional for serving
Salt, to taste
¼ C pomegranate seeds (from one pomegranate, see below for method)
1 C labneh (strained yogurt)
½ cup large black olives (kalamatas or similar), pitted
2 TBL pomegranate molasses (or more to taste)
1 bunch cilantro, leaves and tender part of stems
1
Roast the sweet potatoes. Prick with a fork, coat with 2 T olive oil and 2 t salt, then roast in a 375°F oven for 40 minutes.
2
Preheat grill, grill pan, or cast iron skillet on high.
3
Mix together garlic and olive oil.
4
Slice potatoes in half lengthwise, brush cut sides with the garlic oil, and sprinkle with salt, to taste. Reserve remaining garlic oil.
5
Place potatoes on the grill or pan roast in cast iron, cut side down, 3-6 minutes, until grill marks form.
6
To plate: Place a dollop of yogurt on the plate and top with sweet potato. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and olives. Drizzle with pomegranate molasses and olive oil. Finish with cilantro.
1. Cut off the ends.
2. Score the outside of the pomegranate with a sharp knife, following the natural wedge lines you see in the pomegranate.
3. Use your hands to open the pomegranate, and gently separate the seeds into a bowl of water using your fingers.
4. The seeds will loosen up and separate from any interior white portions of the pomegranate.
5. Remove seeds and drain on a paper towel. (See video for more detail)
