These Japanese sweet potatoes are a farmer favorite here. Every year we anxiously await their arrival in the Fall, dreaming about the delicious caramelized edges and fluffy sweet flesh. This particular variety is called the Murasaki sweet potato. In comparison with their orange counterparts, white fleshed Murasaki sweet potatoes are a bit drier, allowing for a crispier roasted finish than orange sweet potatoes that tend to get a bit soggy. The sweet and creamy center is perfectly accentuated by the coconut oil in this recipe. Due to their drier characteristic, keeping these in bigger chunks as opposed to dicing for a hash allows the potato to retain its creaminess. We usually pop these in the oven around 10 am and they are ready for lunch. That easy!
Roasted and Caramelized Murasaki Sweet Potatoes
2-3 Sweet Potatoes (or however many you feel necessary)
1 tbsp Coconut Oil
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Scoop the coconut oil onto a baking sheet and place in the oven to melt.
2. Cut sweet potatoes into large chunks, about 1-2 inches thick.
3. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and place the sweet potatoes inside. Mix around to completely coat each piece. This is important because the Murasaki is a bit drier than other potatoes and really benefits from the extra oil.
4. Place the baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven. This allows for the face down edge of each chuck to really crisp up and caramelize.
5. After 1.5-2 hrs, remove the potatoes. The longer you let them go, the gooier the edges and sides become. Sometimes we even let them go for 2-2.5 hrs!
We like to sprinkle them with salt when they are done and sometimes dip in a sauce- bbq, ketchup, aioli, even almond butter! Whatever your preference...
Once you have experimented a bit with this you will figure out exactly how you like to cook them. You can play with the height of your oven rack, how much oil you like, what size to cut the potatoes, etc. This recipe is perfect for beginners.
Enjoy!
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