Roasted Japanese Sweet Potatoes with Tahini Sauce

Yield: 4 servings

• 3 medium-sized Japanese sweet potatoes, washed
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt

Tahini Sauce

• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• Salt
• ½ cup tahini
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, grated on a microplane
• 2 to 4 tablespoons of ice water

Garnish:

• Toasted sesame seeds
• 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
• A few sprigs of cilantro
• Flaky sea salt - to taste

Step 1:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Step 2:

Prick the sweet potatoes with a small knife or fork 2 times on either side of the potato. Wrap each potato in foil, place on a baking tray and roast in the oven until they are very soft, about 1-2 hours. You should be able to push on the potato and feel no resistance. When cooked, remove from the oven and open the foil to cool for a bit.

Step 3:

While the sweet potatoes are cooling, make the tahini sauce. Place the cumin, tahini, lemon juice, oil, garlic, and 2 tablespoons ice water in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Keep whisking until the mixture is smooth and creamy, add more ice water if you want the consistency a little thinner. 

Step 4:

Cut the sweet potatoes into wedges length-wise, season them lightly with salt. On the stove, over medium-high heat, preheat a cast-iron pan that is large enough to fit several wedges. Add the olive oil, then carefully place the sweet potato wedges in the pan, cut-side down. Let them cook until caramelized, about 5 minutes. Turn the wedges to the other cut-side and cook until caramelized. 

Step 5:

Place the sweet potato wedges on a serving platter, drizzle the tahini sauce over top. Serve with lemon wedges or sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds or pomegranate seeds, sea salt and a few sprigs of cilantro.