Air Fried Sweet Potato Hasselback au Gratin
by Val CucinaAir Fried Sweet Potato Hasselback au Gratin
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In recent years, with renewed focus on health, nutrition and personal wellness, root vegetables we have taken for granted such as sweet potatoes are full of useful nutrients and vitamins we need. With newly devised methods in preparation, new dishes are developed for sweet potatoes that are inventive, delicious with wonderful presentations. In this recipe, we are cooking the sweet potato, or the yam as commonly known, as a whole piece with the top sliced thinly to encourage expedient preparations.
However, it must be said that the sweet potato and yam, often used interchangeably, are not the same root vegetable. They actually belong to very different families in vegetable groupings. The sweet potato originated in Central or South America and is popular in the culinary landscape in the American south. Pointed at the ends, pale yellow or orange in color, the sweet potato is available all year round with several varieties, including the purple sweet potato. Yams on the other hand, originated in Africa and is generally sweeter than the sweet potato. It has a darker and scaly appearance with rounded ends.
“Hasselback” denotes a method of cooking sweet potatoes where the sweet potato is sliced at regular intervals to achieve faster cooking time as well as crispier finishes.
Author:Val Cucine
Ingredients
- 2-3 good size sweet potato or yam (about 7-8oz / 230g each)
- ½ stick of unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon chopped Italian parsley
- 1 teaspoon of chopped rosemary
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon grated cheddar or Pecorino cheese
- 2 strips of bacon, crisped
- Coarse salt & freshly grounded black pepper
Directions
- Set “air fry” function to “A6”;
- Set temperature to “350F”;
- Set timer to “20” minutes;
- Place cooking basket in the middle of the air fryer when cooking;
Preheat the air fryer;
Wash the sweet potato and clean the outside well, keep the skin on;
Slice the potatoes crosswise between ¼ to 1/8-inch cuts;
Do not slice the sweet potatoes all the way through, leave about ¼ inch on the bottom so the sweet potato stays in one piece;
The thinner the slices, the easier it is to cook with crispier edges at the end;
Take the unsalted butter at room temperature and rub it on the sweet potatoes;
Sprinkle salt and black pepper after that;
Line the air fryer basket with aluminum foil and place the sweet potatoes on the foil;
Place the basket in the middle of the air fryer and cook for 20 minutes at 350F;
And while the sweet potatoes are cooking, cook the bacon slices in a sauté pan and cook until crisp;
After the bacon strips have cooled, crumble them into bits;
After 20 minutes, take the sweet potato out of the oven;
Melt the remaining unsalted butter slightly and brush it on the 20 minutes air fried sweet potatoes;
Now sprinkle the onion powder, then drizzle the maple syrup and put the potatoes back in the Val Cucine Air Fryer and air fry for another 20 minutes, until they are tender on the inside;
If the sweet potatoes are large in size and a metal skewer inserted feels still tough, air fry for few minutes more;
When the Hasselback sweet potatoes are finished air frying, place them onto a plate and sprinkle them with salt and pepper first, a layer of the grated cheese and then the fresh herbs;
- You can serve then as an after-school snack or a part of your meals.