Feasting, A New Take On Jewish Cooking by Amanda Ruben is the latest cookbook on our radar full to the brim with delicious, nourishing recipes! Here is her Spice-Roasted Sweet Potato dish, the perfect accompaniment to a dinner party feast!
I’d never tried roasted dates until creating this recipe and I’m so glad I did. To get the best result it’s really worth buying fresh Medjool dates for their juiciness. The flavours of date molasses, lime and fresh white cheese are so good with the caramelised roasted sweet potato. You can buy shanklish from Middle Eastern grocers, otherwise, feta or fresh ricotta would also be delicious.
Ingredients: Serves 6-8
2 kg (4 lb 6 oz) sweet potato, peeled and cut into
6 cm (2½ in) wedges
2 tablespoons white sesame seeds
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
3 tablespoons olive oil
sea salt, for seasoning
10 Medjool dates, sliced into thirds and stones removed
150 g (5½ oz) white shanklish or other soft white cheese
red chilli, sliced, to garnish
coriander (cilantro) sprigs, to garnish
pickled red shallots
100 ml (3½ fl oz) red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon coconut sugar
¾ tablespoon salt
4 red shallots, thinly sliced
Dressing
juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons date molasses
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) and line two baking trays with baking paper.
In a bowl, toss the sweet potato wedges with the seeds and oil and season with salt, then place the wedges on
the prepared trays. Roast in the oven for 25–30 minutes, until the edges of the potato are brown and the flesh is soft.
Line another baking tray with baking paper and spread the date pieces on top. Roast the dates in the oven for
6 minutes, then remove and leave to cool and crisp up.
To make the pickled red shallots, combine the vinegar, coconut sugar and salt with 250 ml (8½ fl oz/1 cup) water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, then leave to simmer for 3–4 minutes before removing from the heat.
Place the shallots in a bowl and pour the hot pickling liquid over them. Leave to sit for 1 hour before serving.
To make the dressing whisk together all the ingredients in a bowl.
To serve, arrange the sweet potato wedges on a platter, crumble over the shanklish in big chunks, then top with the roasted dates and pickled red shallots. Drizzle with the dressing and garnish with the sliced chilli and coriander.