🔥 Charred Sweet Potatoes with Feta, Pistachios & Pomegranate Glaze

Serves: 4
Prep: 15 min
Cook: 30–40 min

Ingredients

Sweet potatoes

• 3 large sweet potatoes
• 2½ tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp chili flakes
• ¾ tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper

Glaze

• 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
• 1½ tbsp honey or maple syrup
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
• Pinch of chili flakes
• Pinch of salt

Topping

• 150–200 g feta cheese, crumbled
• ⅓ cup pistachios, roughly chopped
• Large handful fresh parsley, chopped
• Small handful fresh mint, chopped
• 1–2 tsp Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes
• 1–2 tbsp pomegranate seeds
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Lemon zest

Method

1. Heat oven to 220°C / 425°F.
   Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into thick wedges or chunky 4–5 cm pieces.
2. Season generously.
   Toss with olive oil, paprika, cumin, chili, salt and pepper.
3. Roast hard.
   Spread on a baking tray without crowding. Roast for 25–30 minutes, turning once, until deeply browned and tender.
4. Get that char.
   Turn the oven to broil/grill for 2–4 minutes, or put the sweet potatoes in a very hot cast-iron pan for a couple of minutes. You want dark, caramelized edges.
5. Make the glaze.
   Whisk together pomegranate molasses, honey, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, chili and salt.
6. Glaze while hot.
   Toss the freshly roasted sweet potatoes with about ⅔ of the glaze. Return to the oven for 2–3 minutes so it becomes sticky and glossy.
7. Build the dish.
   Arrange the potatoes on a serving platter. Scatter over the feta, pistachios, parsley, mint, Aleppo pepper and pomegranate seeds.
8. Finish like the picture.
   Drizzle with the remaining glaze and a generous thread of good olive oil. Finish with lemon zest and a little flaky salt.

⭐ My secret for making it really good

Don’t just roast the sweet potatoes until soft. Get them aggressively caramelized. The contrast between almost-burnt edges and creamy sweet potato is what makes this dish.

Also, use pomegranate molasses rather than ordinary pomegranate juice. It’s concentrated, tart and syrupy, so it gives you that beautiful dark glaze seen in the photo.