A Mashup of Ottolenghi and Ruth Reichl

I found this recipe in Ottolenghi's latest cookbook Plenty More. Ottolenghi's photo of sticky sweet potatoes and roasted garlic was just too good to pass up. In his headnotes he attributes his recipe to one Ruth Reichl published in The Gourmet Today cookbook back in 2009. Gourmet attributed the recipe to Chef David Pasternak, who in turn attributed the recipe to his grandmother. This is what I love about cooking - the way one recipe passes from one person to another, the way a recipe morphs and evolves, and the way a dish can endure for decades and generations and in some cases hundreds of years. I like to think about how the same general recipe has nourished hundreds, thousands and maybe tens of thousands of people. 

Here is my take on this healthy and delicious sweet potato recipe. It truly is a mashup of Ottolenghi and Ruth Reichl's recipes. I served it at our family Thanksgiving in September dinner. These sweet potatoes can be served warm or at room temperature, which makes them all the more ideal for Thanksgiving when it is always a challenge to bring everything to the table hot.

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Orange Juice and Bitters

What intrigued me about this recipe is the combination of orange juice and Angostura bitters, kind of like an Old Fashioned cocktail, without the booze. Which gets me thinking, maybe a little bourbon in this recipe wouldn't be all bad! Ottolenghi adds a couple roasted garlic halves and garnishes with goat cheese, both great additions in my book. Make sure you squeeze the roasted garlic out on the potatoes after they cook. Or just smear the garlic on a slice of crusty bread.

Orange and Bitters Glazed Sweet Potatoes

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These delicious sweet potatoes are a mashup based on Ottolenghi and Ruth Reichl’s recipes. Roasted in an orange juice, marmalade and angostura bitters glaze, they remind me of an Old Fashioned cocktail without the booze.

• Author: Something New For Dinner
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hours 25 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hours 35 minutes
• Yield: Serves 6
• Cuisine: New American

Ingredients

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• 1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
• 1 cup orange marmalade
• 1 T Angostura bitters
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 pounds sweet potatoes, unpeeled and sliced into 1” wedges
• 2 heads garlic, unpeeled and sliced in half across the length of the cloves
• 1 jalapeno chili, sliced and seeded
• 6 fresh sage leaves
• 8 sprigs of fresh thyme and more for garnish
• 3 ounces goat or feta cheese, crumbled (optional)

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Instructions

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper. Put orange juice and marmalade in a saucepan and cook on medium heat until the marmalade melts and thickens, about 25 minutes. Season with bitters, salt and pepper.
2. Scatter the sweet potatoes on the parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Gently pour the orange, marmalade and bitters mixture over the potatoes and toss so that they are well-coated. Add the garlic halves to the pan and brush the cut sides with the sauce. Scatter the sage and thyme over the potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 40 minutes to an hour, turning occasionally, until outsides are caramelized and insides are tender. Remove from the oven and let cool.
3. Serve on a platter and garnish with goat cheese if desired. Can be served warm or at room temperature.