This summer I’m working my way through my most recent Ottolenghi cookbooks, Simple and Flavour, and finding quite a few classics to add to my repertoire. These sweet potato chips are a tasty, economical and quick to prepare and make a useful side dish or snack. Sweet potatoes store very well and are often cheaper per kilo than potatoes which is a bonus, especially during those months when only bland, tasteless potatoes are available. Sweet potatoes are not, however, a superfood, unless you need a huge injection of vitamin A. The superfood marketeers put this tuber in that mythical category. They are as healthy or unhealthy as a regular spud, depending on how you cook them. See the infographics pages here for more nutritional info.
Sweet Potato Chips, serves six to eight as a side.
I halved this recipe and still found we had rather too many. If you do cook the full amount, you may need more trays than suggested in this recipe, and two shelves, swapping half way through baking. The potatoes need to be placed in a single layer on the trays. Preheating the oven to 220º C guarantees successful baking in this short time frame. The potatoes can be prepared up to six hours ahead, up to the point of placing them in the oven.
- sweet potatoes, 1.2 kg, peeled and sliced into 1½ cm thick chips. (see photos)
- 1 Tbsp sweet smoked paprika
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 30 g polenta
- 100 ml olive oil
- 1 Tbls sumac
- flaked sea salt
- Preheat the oven to 220ºc, fan on.
- Mix the sweet potatoes in a large bowl with the paprika, cayenne, polenta, oil and 1 teaspoon of flaked salt. Once combined, tip the sweet potatoes (and all the oil) on to two large parchment- lined baking trays and roast for 25-30 minutes, stirring gently once or twice, until the potatoes are cooked, crisp and golden brown.
- Remove from the oven, sprinkle over the sumac and 1 teaspoon of flaked salt, and serve at once.
Recipe from Simple, Yotam Ottolenghi, 2018
ALMOST ITALIAN 
They look delicious… sweet and potato homemade wedges and chips are often on the menu here [last week under time pressure I bought a bag of frozen “pub style wedges” and was reminded why I make them myself] and I often premake a jars of flavoured salt but hadn’t thought of including polenta, and pre-making them ahead to deepen the flavour.
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I rarely make wedges. I’ve often been tempted by those supermarket versions, but know now not to succumb. Anything with smoked paprika on it is a winner for me- I’m obsessed with that Spanish smoky taste. The polenta adds crunch, the sumac adds mr ottolenghi.
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I’m so glad you’re working through these recipes – I have both books and although I enjoy them (particularly Flavour) from a ‘research’ perspective I find myself either put off by finicky ingredients or fusiony flavours I rarely crave. It’s a shame because I know there is gold in there – so I’m rapt you’re working to mine it for me 😀
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Yeah fusion things can be annoying, like sticking mango with soba noodles, or peach salad with furikake sprinkles….in Simple, ottolenghi leans towards easy classics but gives them a twist. Daisy is keen on his flavour bombs and is coming up here to make some jars for the beach.
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Looks divine!
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Have to smile as I basically eat Asian-Australian fusion food all the time and love fruit in cold soba noodle salads ! Truly vive la difference !! I find myself completely at home with fusion creations both Asian and European – the dishes often being created by what happens to be at home . . . . my big, big complaint always has been the fact that many people doing so retain the classic name as if they had the moral right to change an age-old dish ! As far as Ottolenghi is concerned . . . we seem to keep the same pantry and I rather enjoy ‘creating’ his way . . . Hmm !!! Potatoes I barely eat and tho’ sweet potatoes are also sweet on my menus . . . they rarely appear in the chip form . . . . yours do look tempting tho’ . . .
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In the same pantry, must borrow that expression.
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It’s interesting to use the polenta to get a crisp crust, great idea. I got an air fryer for Christmas and bet they would be good prepared it it. Thank you, great recipe to try.
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I wonder how they’ll go in a air fryer.( which spellcheck wants to change into hairdryer). The oil makes all the spices and polenta stick to the surface.
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Your Ottolenghi choices are really intriguing — I’m also working through his recipes, including my often-mentioned favorite of chicken with fennel and tangerines, which I made this week. I just love his spice chioices.
be well… mae at maefood.blogspot.com
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Tangerines with chicken is a most unusual combination. The spice choices are interesting. I’m enjoying Simple as, to date, the recipes do sit well with our busy garden schedule. I’m yet to delve into flavour.
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Looks and sounds delicious! I wonder whether this would work as well with normal spuds? Hope you are well F 🙂
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Sweet potato and I have never really been friends, they are rarely visitors in my kitchen. But these look quite good, I might try them.
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Forse per il marito?
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oh yum these look so delicious! i adore sweet potato chips, and these look the bomb. i have never used an Ottolenghi recipe tho i know many many people love his books and recipes. I really must have a delve into them one day…
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yummy witl try this
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I received an air fryer for Christmas and will try these as they actually look like they were crisp. My previous attempt to make sweet potato fries in the air fryer were lacking in anticipated crispness, but still good.
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