These Caribbean-Spiced Sweet Potatoes capture the sunny warmth and bold flavors of island cooking — a perfect balance of sweet, tangy, and gently spicy. Baked until tender, the sweet potatoes are glazed with a fragrant blend of fresh orange and Key lime juice, dark rum, brown sugar, and allspice, then infused with the subtle heat of habanero and the zing of fresh ginger. The result is a golden, glossy side dish that pairs beautifully with grilled fish, jerk chicken, or holiday ham — or shines all on its own.
INGREDIENTS:
3 large sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (plus more for greasing)
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 teaspoon habanero powder
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons ginger, freshly grated
2/3 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh Key lime juice
1 tablespoon Jamaican dark rum
1/2 teaspoon Jamaican allspice
METHOD:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Wrap each sweet potato in foil and place them on a baking sheet. Bake for 35 minutes, or until just tender when pierced with a fork.
Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Unwrap and peel the potatoes, then cut them into ½-inch-thick slices.
Lightly coat a 9 × 13-inch baking dish with vegetable oil or nonstick spray. Arrange the sweet potato slices in a single, slightly overlapping layer.
In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, habanero powder, brown sugar, grated ginger, orange juice, lime juice, rum, and allspice until well combined.
Pour the glaze evenly over the sweet potatoes. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 15–20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the flavors have melded.
Remove the foil and continue baking for another 10–15 minutes, until the glaze thickens slightly and the edges of the potatoes begin to caramelize.
Serve warm, spooning the glossy citrus-ginger glaze over the top.
YIELD: 4 Servings
