Stuffed Sweet Potato Skins With Chorizo And Pancetta
“I’ve got a great recipe for you.” says the youngest Glam on the phone from Uni. Having spent the best part of two years living on Pot Noodles and “Cheap food that doesn’t go off,” by which I assume that means no fruit or vegetables. The Glam Student has now started cooking. I know he’s tried the tested family favourites, as I get the occasional call for a reminder of a forgotten step. But this was a recipe worked out by him for an ingredient I rarely use.
Stuffed Sweet Potato Skins With Pancetta And Chorizo
Sweet potatoes are delicious as skinny oven baked fries, with blistered skins and inner softness. Or in soup where they both thicken and add an unctuous flavour that can take generous amounts of chilli, cumin and coriander. As a golden coloured sweet and savoury topping for a shepherds pie and as the main ingredient in a vegetarian Green Curry, the flavour melding perfectly with the thick coconut milk broth. So why don’t I use them? That will change with this recipe for simple Stuffed Potato Skins. Perfect as an accompaniment to a BBQ or with a fresh crisp salad. The jewel like chorizo and pancetta chunks add smokiness and salty flavours to the sticky golden flesh.
Sweet Potato Skins With Chorizo And Pancetta
- 3 Sweet Potatoes
- 120g Chorizo cut into small cubes
- 120g Pancetta cut into small cubes
- 13 Spring Onions / Scallions, Sliced thinly
- salt and pepper to taste
- Preheat the oven to 200c, 180c fan, gas mark 6, 400f
- Prick the sweet potatoes all over with a fork and bake in the oven for about 45 mins until they are soft and the caramel stickiness is bubbling out of the fork holes.
- Remove from the oven and cut in half, scooping out the flesh. This will come out quite easily leaving you with the papery skins. At this point you can cut these into half again if your potatoes were particularly large giving you 4 pieces from each sweet potato.
- Set the skins to one side.
- Put the pancetta into a small frying pan over a medium heat, once the fat just starts to go golden add the chorizo. You don't need any oil as the delicious oils from the cured meats will ooze into the pan as they heat up. Once the chorizo begins to get darker and the pancetta is fully golden about 6-7 mins remove from the heat
- Meanwhile Mash the sunny flesh and add two thirds of the pancetta and chorizo mix including all that smoky flavoured oil and two thirds of the spring onions. Mix this together well, add salt and pepper to taste. Remember that the pancetta may be quite salty.
- Arrange the skins on a baking tray and carefully spoon the mixture back into the skins, you want the tops to be rough looking not smoothed down as this will catch slightly and give sweet crispy edges.
- Put back in the oven, still at the same temperature and bake for a further 20 mins. If you've cut your potatoes into quarters they may cook a little quicker.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the remaining chorizo, pancetta mix and the rest of the fresh spring onions. Serve immediately.