Sweet potatoes have been cultivated as a source of food for thousands of years. New Zealand’s Maori have a long history of cultivating kumara, though compared to the varieties we eat today they tended to be small – generally no bigger than a finger. The sweet potato evolved from an American vegetable and, over time, red, gold and orange potatoes have been cultivated. It’s a very nutritious vegetable, high in vitamins A and C.
There are endless ways to prepare sweet potatoes, but, just like potatoes baked in their skins, you can’t beat the flavour when they’re simply prepared.
Note: cook in the oven for 30 minutes to an hour at 180oC.
Time: 40–60 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
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4 sweet potatoes, washed and dried
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8 strips speck or smoked streaky bacon
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4 cloves
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2 tablespoons maple syrup
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salt
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freshly cracked black pepper
Method
Wrap each sweet potato in two pieces of speck or bacon. Use cloves to secure the bacon.
Firmly wrap each sweet potato in two sheets of foil.
Prepare your barbecue for cooking over a medium heat. If using charcoal, insert the sweet potatoes along the edge of the coals; if using gas, place them over the gas burners on the grilling bars.
Cook the sweet potatoes until they are quite soft. Depending on the size of the vegetables, this may take 30 minutes.
When cooked, discard the foil, slit the sweet potatoes open with a sharp knife and place on a serving plate.
Drizzle with maple syrup and season with salt and pepper. Serve straightaway.
Recipe taken from Ben’s Meat Bible, by Ben O’Donoghue
Taking his inspiration from around the world, Ben O’Donoghue brings you 130 recipes guaranteed to please any carnivore. With everything from comfort food greats like Classic roast pork and Southern fried chicken, to international favourites like Tonkotsu miso ramen and Beef fajita, Ben’s Meat Bible takes you beyond the boring old ‘meat and three veg’!
You can purchase Ben’s Meat Bible at cooked.com.
Published by Hardie Grant
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