Citrus-Glazed Sweet Potatoes

Arguably a side of sweet potatoes is one of the best ways to add a pop of color and flavor into a meal, regardless of the season.
So when I spotted this recipe on NYT Cooking I knew right away to give it a try. It turned out to be way better than I expected, so I decided to serve it both at Thanksgiving and Christmas. It won rave reviews from everybody.
So why not share it with you guys?

The sweet potatoes are baked in a mixture of citrus juices, brown sugar, and spices. When done, they are glazed to perfection and the juices are reduced to a syrupy-like consistency that is to die for.
The acidity of the citrus juice balances perfectly with the sweetness of the yams, while the spices add warmth.
This recipe is also very forgiving, a little more or a little less of this or that ingredient isn’t going to screw things up. Just make sure to check the oven every now so that they burn.


In the original recipe from NYT Cooking the sweet potatoes were cut 1-inch thick, as a consequence the cooking time was almost 2 hours. After trying it a couple of times, I decided to cut them ¼-inch thick instead and reduce the cooking time to 30/40 minutes. There’s still plenty of time for the juices to thicken up and glaze the sweet potatoes.


These candied sweet potatoes work as a stunning side dish not only for the holidays, but for any day of the week.
They come together in 30 minutes flat and the oven does all the heavy lifting for you.
Just stir them halfway through so that they can get crispy and candied on both sides. That’s about it.
Easy and tasty, sweet with a hint of spice and a bold citrus kick, they make an awesome accompaniment for meat or fish. Just make sure to slice the orange zest very thin otherwise they’ll get very chewy.

Citrus-Glazed Sweet Potatoes                                                                                                           Print this recipe!
Adapted from NYTCooking

Note: if possible use organic oranges, if not remember to scrub well the peel to remove any residual pesticides Also, if you don’t like marmalade, the orange zest strips aren’t for you. You can still add them to the pan for the flavor and not serve them with the sweet potatoes, though they provide for a beautiful garnish.

Ingredients
Serves 8 as a side

3 medium oranges
1 lemon
2 limes
½ cup brown sugar (or coconut sugar)
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ ground cinnamon (adjust according to taste)
Pinch of grated nutmeg (adjust according to taste)
¼ teaspoon black pepper
3 lbs sweet potatoes (about 8 small)
4 tablespoons butter (or coconut oil or any other vegetable oil of your choice)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and place a rack in the middle.
With a vegetable peeler, peel strips of zest off two oranges.
Using a sharp knife cut the strips into thin matchsticks and transfer to a large bowl. Juice the oranges, lemon, and limes (they should yield about 1 cup of juice.)
Add citrus juice to the bowl and add sugar, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and black pepper. Whisk until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.
Peel the sweet potatoes, transfer to a cutting board and cut into rounds about ¼-inch thick.
Place sweet potato rounds in the bowl with the juices and toss to coat.
Transfer the sweet potatoes and juice mixture to a shallow baking dish. Dot the top with butter (or coconut oil).
Bake for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through, or until the potatoes are tender and glazed and the juices are the consistency of a syrup.
Let cool a few minutes before serving.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Nutrition facts

One serving yields 249 calories, 6 grams of fat, 48 grams of carbs, and 3 grams of protein.