Fan-Cut Sweet Potatoes That Crisp at the Edges

A hasselback cut looks like a fuss you went to, but it is really just a few close slices before the oven takes over. As the sweet potato roasts, the slices fan open, the center stays soft, and the edges crisp into something worth reaching for first off the plate.

White sweet potato is a source of beta-carotene, vitamin A, and potassium, nutrients involved in energy and the steady work of muscles and nerves. On the Autoimmune Recovery Method, getting enough real food onto the plate matters as much as what you leave off it, and a nutrient-dense side like this helps you actually stay fed through the healing months.

Spoon the herbed oil over while the potatoes are still hot, and let the rosemary and garlic bloom into the fat. A dish finished with a little care, the smell of rosemary and thyme filling the kitchen, lands differently than one rushed straight to the table.

Ingredients

• 1 lb white sweet potatoes, scrubbed
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil or olive oil, melted, for roasting
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil or olive oil, softened, for the herbed topping
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

Swaps made: the source uses ghee, which is a dairy fat and is excluded on Core. Swap it for coconut oil or olive oil, both for roasting and for the herbed topping. This keeps the dish strict Core.

Method

• Slice each scrubbed sweet potato crosswise at close intervals, cutting most of the way down but not all the way through, so the slices stay attached at the base.
• Brush the potatoes all over with the 1 tablespoon melted oil and sprinkle with the sea salt.
• Roast at 400 F until soft all the way through, about 60 to 75 minutes depending on the size of the potatoes.
• While they roast, stir together the 2 tablespoons softened oil with the chopped garlic, dried rosemary, and dried thyme to make a herbed topping.
• Spoon the herbed oil over the hot potatoes just before serving so the fans soak it up.

Air fryer variation

Hasselback sweet potatoes also crisp well in an air fryer. Brush with the oil and salt as above, then cook at around 380 to 400 F until soft and crisp at the edges, turning the basket part way through if needed. Air fryer timing for whole sweet potatoes is untested here and runs shorter than oven roasting, so check for doneness with a fork before pulling them (verify). Finish with the herbed oil the same way.

*Adapted from a-clean-plate*