Cast Iron

Miso, Ginger, and Scallion-Crusted Sweet Potatoes

Name: Miso, Ginger, and Scallion-Crusted Sweet Potatoes
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: Serves 4-8 as a main dish, 8 as a side
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 very large sweet potatoes, about 3 1/2 pounds total; 4 tablespoons butter or neutral oil such as safflower; 4 medium cloves garlic, minced; 8 to 9 scallions, finely sliced or 1/2 shallot, minced; 1-2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated; 4 tablespoons chunky brown-rice (or any other) miso (available in health-food stores); Hot water; 4 tablespoons butter or coconut oil (for a vegan version)

by: creamtea

February 19, 2014

2 Ratings

Miso, Ginger, and Scallion-Crusted Sweet Potatoes

Photo by Alpha Smoot

Prep time 15 minutes
Cook time 1 hour
Serves 4-8 as a main dish, 8 as a side

Jump to Recipe

Author Notes

A huge sweet potato, barely smaller than a chicken, caught my eye at the market, and seemed like a good option for a meatless Tuesday dinner. I was also planning to buy a package of miso to noodle around with, and it seemed the flavors of sweet and salty would play well together, so I added scallions and garlic to the shopping cart, lugged home my prize, and got to work in the kitchen. Bake the sweet potato, halve it (or quarter it, for more of that salty, buttery crust), and smear on the paste, then run it under the broiler. Alternatively, you can use left-over baked sweets. Leftovers make a good lunch the next day. Herewith, the result of my experiment. —creamtea

Test Kitchen Notes

The contrast of the salty, savory miso topping with the sweet potato is a winning one, and we found ourselves saving that salty, broiled top for last. In the future, we might chop up the potatoes before covering them with the dressing so as to increase the sweet-to-salty surface area. —The Editors

Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Ingredients

4 very large sweet potatoes, about 3 1/2 pounds total
4 tablespoons butter or neutral oil such as safflower
4 medium cloves garlic, minced
8 to 9 scallions, finely sliced or 1/2 shallot, minced
1-2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
4 tablespoons chunky brown-rice (or any other) miso (available in health-food stores)
Hot water
4 tablespoons butter or coconut oil (for a vegan version)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°.
With a small, sharp knife, pierce each sweet potato in several places.
Place in oven and bake until tender when pierced with a long sharp knife or skewer, about 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on size. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.
While potatoes are baking, warm oil in medium skillet (I used cast-iron) over medium-low flame. Add garlic, scallions, and ginger and sauté until fragrant and sizzling.
Place miso in a small, heat-proof prep bowl and add enough hot water to form a loose, thick paste—maybe 4 to 5 tablespoons. Whisk until fully incorporated.
Add miso mixture to skillet and stir and scrape until reduced, thickened, and darker in color, about 3 minutes. Swirl in the coconut oil (or butter), stirring until melted. Remove from the heat.
Cut each potato in half lengthwise. Using a rubber scraper, coat the miso paste mixture evenly over cut edges. Place under broiler and broil until topping is crisp and browned, about 4 to 5 minutes (keep an eye on them to avoid burning).
Serve it forth, either as a side or as a main.

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12 Reviews

hungry_coyote September 17, 2019

the topping is miraculous. Very satisfying recipe.

creamtea February 24, 2020

hungry_coyote, thanks for trying my recipe! Glad you enjoyed it.

Cheryl February 28, 2019

Incredibly delicious! I got the ingredients to make this several times and never followed through... until tonight! I'll make this again. I used the coconut oil to make it vegan and loved the gentle coconut flavor. My topping didn't get crusty, but I broiled it in my toaster oven and may have had it too close to the heat. I'll try the oven next time. And there will be a next time! Thank you for this creative recipe.

creamtea February 24, 2020

Cheryl, thanks for trying! I'm so glad you liked my recipe.

marynn March 19, 2017

I added a bit of pomegranate molasses and thought it was a nice balance.

creamtea March 19, 2017

Hi marynn, what a good idea!

EmilyC September 24, 2015

This sounds so good! Congrats on your CP!

creamtea September 24, 2015

Thanks Emily!

susan G. February 15, 2015

This recipe is just perfect! It's full of flavor, uses ingredients I always have on hand, and takes only a few minutes to put together once the potatoes are ready. Not only that, it's pretty, too. Now I have a little tub of miso-ginger butter in the fridge, ready for that next sweet potato - or eggplant - or winter squash - or maybe some white beans....

creamtea February 16, 2015

Thank you for trying my recipe, Susan. I never thought to keep a container of miso-ginger butter in the fridge. Next time I'm going to make extra to perk other meals up. Thanks for the idea!

Annie S. February 12, 2015

I tested this recipe for the contest and I loved this preparation. I have made it twice now and the contrast of flavors textures is just wonderful. Thank you for your recipe.