Nothing like a creamy and comforting gratin, and this one is really super as it contains grated lime zest and red chili.
This recipe comes from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s wonderful and adventurous recipe book, “Veg Everyday”
Serves 4
2 lb. sweet potatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
1 fresh red chile, seeded and finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup heavy cream
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter (or you can used raw, unsalted, crunchy almond butter)
finely grated zest of 1 lime, plus about 2 tsp. juice
Preheat the oven to 375F and lightly oil a large gratin dish.
Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into slices a bit thinner than 1/8 inch. In a large bowl, toss the potato slices with 1 tablespoon of the oil, the chili, garlic, cream, and some salt & pepper.
Arrange half the sweet potato slices evenly in the gratin dish. You do not have to layer them piece by piece, but try to ensure that the slices are mostly lying flat.
Beat the peanut butter with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, the lime zest, and the lime juice.
Spread this mixture in dollops over the sweet potatoes in the dish. Cover evenly with the remaining sweet potato slices. Pour over any cream remaining in the bowl.
Cover the dish with foil and bake for about 20 minutes, then remove the foil. Bake for a further 30 minutes or so, until the sweet potatoes are completely tender and the top is browned and crisp.
For extra crispness, you can finish under the broiler for a couple of minutes, but watch carefully.
Serve hot, with a crisp, leafy salad to balance the sweet richness of the gratin.