Sweet Potato Home Fries

The menu for our Thanksgiving feast is falling into place. I had great plans for a meal of lamb or salmon, but their cost proved to be unconscionable for the number of people we'll be feeding. If you don't believe me, ask the Silver Fox who, on hearing quotes from the fish monger and butcher, put on a performance worthy of an Academy Award. We are going to have beef tenderloin this weekend and turkey or chicken had already been ruled out, so, with lamb or fish no longer in play, only pork or tofu remained as options for our main course. The Silver Fox is a committed carnivore, so the only true choice was pork. Backed into that corner, I thought an herbed pork loin that had been brined in cider would be perfect for our holiday feast. With that decided, I could move on to the other elements of our dinner. I thought these sweet potato home fries would be a nice addition to our unconventional feast. I love their color and the surprising sweet-savory flavor they pick up as they roast with the garlic. They have the added virtue of being easy to make and can be assembled hours before roasting. I really think you'll like these and hope you'll give them a try. Here's the recipe.

Sweet Potato Home Fries ...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Mark Bittman

Ingredients:

4 pounds sweet potatoes (about 3 or 4 large potatoes), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 cup chopped parsley leaves

Directions:

1) Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt water and add potatoes, cooking until barely tender, about 5 minutes. Do not overcook. Drain and plunge into a bowl filled with ice water to stop cooking. When cool, drain again.

2) Toss potatoes with olive oil and garlic. Turn them into a roasting pan large enough to hold them in a single layer.

3) Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Roast potatoes, tossing them occasionally, until tender and lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Toss with parsley, salt and pepper, and serve. Yield: 8 to 10 servings.