Grilled Sweet Potatoes With Garlicky Herb Sauce
Sweet potatoes cut into half inch planks, parboiled in salted water so they never come off charred and raw, grilled over medium-high heat, and spooned with a garlicky yogurt herb sauce.
Servings 6 servings
Ingredients
For the Grilled Sweet Potatoes
- 3 pounds sweet potatoes about 4 medium, scrubbed, skin on
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt for the boiling water
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
For the Garlicky Herb Sauce
- ¾ cup Greek yogurt full fat
- 2 cloves garlic grated on a microplane
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice fresh
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ⅓ cup flat-leaf parsley finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons chives finely sliced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 pinch red chili flakes optional
Instructions
Make the Sauce
- Grate the garlic into the lemon juice and let it sit 10 minutes. The acid takes the harsh raw edge off the garlic.
- Whisk in the yogurt, olive oil, and salt, then stir in the parsley, dill, chives, and chili flakes. It should pour like heavy cream. Loosen with a tablespoon of cold water if it is too thick. Refrigerate until serving.
Cut and Parboil
- Trim the ends off the sweet potatoes and cut them lengthwise into ½ inch planks, skin on.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil with 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Boil the planks 6 to 8 minutes, until a knife tip just enters with some resistance left. They finish on the grill, so stop early.
- Drain gently, lay the planks on a towel, and pat both sides completely dry. Brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Grill
- Heat the grill to medium-high, around 425 to 450F. Scrape the grates clean, then wipe them with an oiled towel. Sweet potato sugar sticks to a dirty grate.
- Lay the planks across the bars and grill 4 to 5 minutes without moving them, until they release on their own and show dark stripes.
- Turn once and grill another 4 to 5 minutes, until a knife slides through the thickest plank with no resistance.
- Salt the planks the moment they come off the grill, then spoon the garlicky herb sauce over them or serve it alongside.
Notes
- Parboil first: 6 to 8 minutes in salted water is the fix for charred outside and raw inside, and it seasons the flesh all the way through.
- Half inch planks: they span the grate, mark evenly, and turn once. Wedges are too thick and sticks fall through.
- Do not soak: soaking is for starchy white potatoes going into oil. The surface here has to be dry to mark.
- Clean, oiled, hot grate: the three things that stop planks from tearing.
- Full fat yogurt only: low fat versions split when the lemon goes in.
- Make ahead: the sauce keeps 4 days and improves overnight, and the planks can be parboiled a day ahead.