Hot and Spicy Sweet Potatoes

This wax-type chile originated in Hungary and was brought to the US in the 1930’s. Yellow chiles of several different varieties are a staple in Eastern European cuisine. These chiles can be pickled, battered and fried or used in salsas and salads.

Hungarian Wax chiles have alot of flavor without the bitter aftertaste that you can get from many of the green types of chile. Try substituting some of these in your chile recipes next time.

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Ingredients:

2 large sweet potatoes, about 1-1/4 pounds each
4 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves plus 2 fresh sprigs of thyme
1 red Scotch Bonnet chile, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped

Instructions:

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them crossways into slices 1/4″ thick. Lay each potato on a large sheet of foil, keeping the slices together.

Drizzle each potato with the olive oil and sprinkle with the thyme leaves, about half of the chopped chile and season with plenty of salt and pepper. With your hands, massage the seasoning into each slice. Replace the slices into their original positions and lay a thyme sprig across the top of each potato and sprinkle with the remaining chopped chile. Wrap the foil securely round the potatoes to make two parcels. (You can prepare to this stage up to 24 hours ahead of time.)

Put the foil parcels on the rack over the hottest part of the barbecue and cook for 45 minutes until the potatoes are buttery and softened. (Unwrap and test with the point of a knife to check if theyre ready).

Recipe from Good Food Magazine, July 2003.