We love to cook sweet potatoes on the grill. But when you’re having people over for a barbeque, it is easy to undercook the potatoes or overcook and burn them, particularly if you have other foods on the grill at the same time.
We decided to cook them sous vide and then throw them on the barbeque for a few minutes to brown them. It works great, and if you’re cooking for a crowd, most of the prep is done ahead of time. All you have to do is take a few minutes to finish the potatoes when everything else is ready to serve.
This recipe is another example of how sous vide can simplify your life, and how well it integrates with other techniques and cooking methods. Easy and delicious!
Serves 4; recipe easily doubles (or even triples)
1¾
pounds sweet potatoes (about 2 large)
2
teaspoons salt
½
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½
teaspoon piment d’Espelette (you could substitute paprika or cayenne)
3
tablespoons butter
Olive oil
- Preheat the water bath to 185°F (85°C).
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into small wedges, slice them crosswise into pieces about 1 inch thick, or pare them into whatever shape works best for you that won’t fall through the grill grate. We cook our potatoes on a grill pan perforated with small holes.
- Place the potatoes, salt, pepper, piment d’Espelette, and butter in a food bag and vacuum seal.
- Cook for 30 minutes.
- Remove the potatoes from the bag and toss with olive oil.
- Transfer the potatoes to a barbeque and grill until browned, turning as needed, about 3 or 4 minutes. If cooking over direct heat, watch closely as they will cook quickly. We like to have an area on the grill that’s not over direct heat so we can move food to it if it’s browning too quickly. Alternatively, you can transfer the potatoes to a sheet pan and place under a hot broiler until browned.
