guiltless indulgence: sweet potato wedges with thyme & goat cheese

I don’t have a single female friend who doesn’t like French fries.  If I ever was to meet a girl who made such an assertion, I’d be immediately suspicious and peg her for the evil type who swears those high waisted jeans look fabulous on you, or encourages you to order the cheeseburger and then innocently bats her eyes and says “oh me? I’ll just have the cobb salad please – hold the bacon, egg, and avocado.”

I strongly dislike those girls.

A French fry dipped in mayonnaise is one of my ultimate guilty pleasures.  I know it’s only really appropriate to actually dip your fries in mayo in Europe, so here I mostly settle for swabbing up stray globs that have slipped off my BLT and onto the plate, secretly giddy at my good fortune.  I know the nutritional profile of a potato matchstick deep fried in oil then run through an egg yolk based emulsion is nothing but abysmal for my health, but despite even that I find it *incredibly* tasty.

To boost up the vitamins, nutrients, fiber, and just about everything else that is NOT in a fried spud, baked sweet potatoes make an almost (dare I say) tastier alternative to our fad laden friends.  I like to slice them in thick wedges and cook them over a high heat with a fistfull of thyme, until they get roasty and browned on the edges and delightfully creamy in the center.

A drizzle of honey just before they are finished adds a nice caramelized crispness, and topping them with just a tiny bit of crumbled goat cheese makes them into a meal on their own.

Sweet Potato Wedges with Honey, Thyme, and Goat Cheese
My own recipe
Serves 2

This makes a delicious rustic side, or, if served with a big green salad a delightful vegetarian main course.  Use a good quality goat cheese, and if possible do not use the pre-crumbled type – it doesn’t have the same texture as the kind that comes in a log. I generally count on just about 1 good sized potato per person, or slightly more if you are serving it as a main dish.

3 Medium sweet potatoes
Fresh Thyme
1 Tbsp Honey
Olive oil
Goat Cheese
Sea salt & pepper

Heat the oven to 450F. Peel the potatoes, and slice each one lengthwise in half, and then each half again lengthwise in half, so you have 4 quarters.  slice each quarter in half so you are left with 8 wedges per potato.

Toss the potatoes with enough olive oil to lightly coat them and spread them on a baking sheet.  Make sure that they are evenly spaced – you want them to crisp up and brown a bit, and if they are crowded they will steam themselves and get soggy.   Sprinkle them with the thyme and generously salt and pepper.

Cook for 15 minutes, then turn each wedge, so they’ll evenly brown.  Cook for another 15 minutes, and check for doneness – they should be easily pierced with a fork.  Drizzle them lightly with honey (a little will goes a long way since the potatoes are already sweet on their own) and place them back in the oven for 2-3 minutes.

Remove them and let them cool slightly.  Crumble 2 oz goat cheese, and scatter over the wedges.