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Batatas al rescoldo
Ember-roasted sweet potatoes
Batatas al rescoldo: sweet potatoes buried in the embers of the asado until soft and smoky, split and buttered
Long after the meat comes off, the fire of an Argentine asado still has work to do. Sweet potatoes pushed into the glowing embers (el rescoldo) at the start of the cook come out an hour later with charred, papery skins and flesh that is soft, sticky and almost caramelised, with a smoky edge. They are split open at the table, filled with butter and coarse salt and eaten as a side to the asado or as supper by the fire on a camping trip. Burying them in live flames is the trap: the skin blackens right through while the inside stays hard, so wait for a bed of settled embers and ash. Wrapping them in foil gives softer skins and less risk if you are new to it, and an oven at 200 °C does a fine job indoors. Chef's tip: choose sweet potatoes of the same thickness, around 250 g each, so they cook evenly together.
- Total time
- 65 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 4 sweet potatoesabout 250 g each, scrubbed
- 2 ⅛ oz buttersoft
- 1 tsp coarse salt
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley (optional)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: When the fire has burned down to a deep layer of glowing embers covered with grey ash, rake a space at the edge.
Step 2: Prick 4 sweet potatoes a few times with a fork. Wrap each in a double layer of foil if you prefer softer skins.
Step 3: Push them into the embers and cover with more hot ash and embers.
Step 4: Cook, turning them once with tongs halfway through, until a skewer slides through the thickest part with no resistance.
60 minStep 5: Lift out, knock off the ash and let them sit for 2 minutes. Split each one lengthways and push the flesh up with a fork.
Step 6: Fill with 2 ⅛ oz butter and sprinkle with 1 tsp coarse salt and the parsley, if using. Serve hot.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 280 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 50 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does batatas al rescoldo take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of sweet potatoes?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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