German-Style Sweet Potato Salad With Warm Bacon Dressing
Roasted sweet potato cubes folded into a warm dressing of rendered bacon fat, cider vinegar and whole grain mustard. No mayonnaise, served warm.
Servings 6 servings
Ingredients
For the Sweet Potatoes
- 2 ½ pounds sweet potatoes peeled and cut into ¾ inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For the Warm Bacon Dressing
- 8 ounces thick cut bacon cut crosswise into ½ inch pieces
- 1 medium yellow onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- ¼ cup low sodium chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
To Finish
- 4 green onions thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
Roast the Sweet Potatoes
- Heat the oven to 425F with a rimmed sheet pan inside it. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into ¾ inch cubes.
- Toss the cubes with the olive oil, salt and pepper until every cut face is coated, then spread them on the hot pan in a single layer with space between them.
- Roast 25 to 30 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until the edges are browned and a paring knife slides in easily. Leave them on the pan to stay warm.
Make the Warm Bacon Dressing
- Put the bacon pieces in a cold 12 inch skillet and set it over medium heat. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until browned and crisp at the edges.
- Lift the bacon out with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel, leaving the rendered fat in the pan. Pour off any fat beyond ¼ cup.
- Add the onion and cook 4 to 5 minutes until soft and translucent, then stir in the garlic for 30 seconds.
- Take the skillet off the heat and whisk in the cider vinegar, whole grain mustard, brown sugar, broth, salt and pepper. Return to low heat for about 1 minute, whisking, until warm and slightly thickened. Taste and adjust.
Fold and Serve
- Tip the warm roasted sweet potato into a large serving bowl. Pour half the warm dressing over it and fold gently with a rubber spatula, lifting from underneath.
- Add the remaining dressing, most of the bacon and the green onions, and fold once more.
- Scatter the remaining bacon and the parsley over the top and serve warm.
Notes
- Roast, do not boil: Boiled sweet potato absorbs water and collapses when the dressing is folded in. Roasting at 425F drives moisture off and firms the edges.
- Vinegar off the heat: Pull the skillet off the burner before the cider vinegar goes in, or it scorches and turns bitter.
- No mayonnaise: This is the vinegar and bacon fat style. There is no mayonnaise anywhere in the recipe.
- Serve warm: Bacon fat sets as it cools. If the bowl goes cool, microwave in 30 second bursts, folding between each, until the dressing loosens.
- Storage: Keeps 3 days covered in the fridge. Reheat rather than serving cold. Do not freeze.