Loaded sweet potato fries with green tahini, harissa and zaatar salt

Name: Loaded sweet potato fries with green tahini, harissa and zaatar salt
Cook time: 1 h
Yield: 4 as a side (or 1 as a complete meal)
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Ingredients: 2 tbsp; ½ tbsp salt flakes; 1kg small sweet potatoes, scrubbed, cut lengthways into thick chips; 1½ tbsp olive oil; few coriander leaves to scatter (optional); salt and pepper to season

Katrina Meynink

August 9, 2021

Sweet potato fries loaded with green tahini, harissa and zaatar salt.Katrina Meynink

Time:30 mins - 1 hourServes:4 as a side (or 1 as a complete meal)

I am a lazy prep cook so if there is an opportunity to skip out on peeling, trimming etc, I am in. These sweet spuds are the perfect example. Give them a quick scrub and roast, skin-on. My impatience aside, the skin adds texture and background earthy goodness. It also helps the chips to hold their shape and prevents them from turning soggy.

Ingredients

2 tbsp zaatar
½ tbsp salt flakes
1kg small sweet potatoes, scrubbed, cut lengthways into thick chips
1½ tbsp olive oil
few coriander leaves to scatter (optional)
salt and pepper to season

Harissa

1 tbsp quality harissa paste
1 tbsp olive oil

Green tahini

2 garlic cloves (I used black garlic but whatever you have on hand is great)
leaves from 1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
leaves from ½ small bunch coriander, roughly chopped (reserve the stems for another use)
juice and zest of 1 lime
¼ cup tahini
2 tsp honey
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup icy cold water

Method

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 170C fan-forced (190C conventional).
Step 2
Mix together the zaatar and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
Step 3
Line a large flat baking tray with baking paper and spread over the sweet potato chips. Drizzle with 1½ tablespoons of olive oil and toss to coat. Season with some of the zaatar salt. Roast until golden and crisp, about 45 minutes.
Step 4
Meanwhile, add the green tahini ingredients, except for the icy water, to a blender and briefly blitz to combine. Slowly drizzle the water until relatively smooth. Aim for a runny-yoghurt-like consistency – if it is too thick, slowly add more icy water.
Step 5
In a small bowl, mix together the harissa and remaining one tablespoon of olive oil.
Step 6
Remove the chips from the oven and generously drizzle the green tahini over. Drizzle enough that each chip gets "a taste", but don't drown them in sauce (you will probably have some left over – it makes a great salad dressing and will keep for a week in the fridge). Dollop with harissa, scatter with few coriander leaves, if using, and season with remaining zaatar salt. Serve piping hot – I suggest straight from the tray, with an icy cold beer.