This colorful side dish taken from Milk Street features an unusual combination of flavors. Earthy sweet potatoes pair well with the subtle citrusy notes of coriander and the fruitiness of orange juice, while savory onion, spicy cayenne and salty olives balance the natural sugars.
It has gained a place as one of the top side dishes we’ve ever made, it is phenomenal! The texture and flavor pop of lightly crushed coriander seeds where a mortar and pestle are the best tools for the task but the bottom of a heavy skillet works, too. If you prefer, you can use 1 tablespoon ground coriander in place of the seeds, but keep in mind, it will require less than a minute to bloom in the oil.
Don’t use a narrow saucepan or pot for this recipe. The wider diameter of a Dutch oven allows the potatoes to be distributed in a thinner layer, which results in more even cooking.
The flavor profile of this sweet potato dish blended nicely with our main course of Yucatan-Style Grille Pork.
Braised Sweet Potatoes and Coriander, Orange and Olives
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp. coriander seeds, lightly crushed
- 1 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper
- 2 lbs. orange-flesh sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- ⅔ cup orange juice
- ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
- ½ cup black or green pitted olives, or a mixture, chopped
Directions
- In a Dutch oven over medium-high, cook the oil and coriander seeds, stirring, until fragrant and sizzling, 2 to 4 minutes. Add the onion and ¼ teaspoon salt, then cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the sweet potatoes, orange juice, cayenne, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper and ½ cup water. Bring to a simmer, cover and reduce to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until a skewer inserted into the potatoes meets no resistance, 8 to 11 minutes.
- Uncover and cook, stirring constantly, until the liquid has almost fully reduced and the potatoes are glazed, about 2 minutes. Off heat, stir in the olives. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Recipe by Courtney Hill for Milk Street
Accounting for Taste 