sweet taters + beer

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After last week’s post on Beer Baked Fries, I had numerous questions asking if you can sub sweet potato fries.

You ask, I answer.

I figured you could, but why not test it out.  First you will need 2 ginormous sweet potatoes.  This spud literally weights 1.5lbs!

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With their odd shape, they are a bit trickier to cut.  Here’s how I go about it…

1. Cut in half.

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2. Cut in half again, lengthwise.  So now you have 4 quarters.  Turn 1 quarter on it’s side and make 3 lengthwise cuts.  Repeat 3 more times.

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4.  Lay the quarters flat.  Then make fry sized cuts, perpendicular to the original slices.

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Not too bad right?  And they definitely do not have to be perfect!

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I wanted to use a heavier beer, with a lot of flavor.  I chose Moose Drool brown ale, as browns are one of my favorite types of beer.  I thought this would add a nice malty, sweetness to the fries.

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Time for a beer bath!

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For this version, I used garlic, salt, pepper, sunflower oil and also threw on some fresh chopped rosemary.  Rosemary + garlic are a fabulous pair, as are rosemary + sweet potatoes.  I figured, I couldn’t go wrong.

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Definitely been on quite the garlic kick lately!

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The fries were the center of attention for this meal.  No veggie burgers, no beer grilled tofu, just eaten alongside a huge salad.

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Now, how did I enjoy this dinner?  Or, whom did I enjoy it with?

Chris was out climbing, and Eric is out of town, so I called Kelsey and invited her over for beer fries + salad. 

Classy.

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She came running, er…biking, right over!

Meal of the week!

Sweet Potato Beer Fries [serves 4-6]

  • 3lbs sweet potatoes
  • 1 bottle of brown ale beer
  • 3T sunflower oil [or olive, etc..]
  • 2 large garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary, finely chopped
  • 1t salt
  • black pepper
  1. Preheat oven to 425*
  2. Scrub potatoes, and cut per instructions above.  leave the skins on.
  3. In a large bowl, soak the cut fries, in 1 bottle of beer.
  4. Let soak for 15min, tossing 1-2x.
  5. Drain beer and toss with olive oil, garlic, rosemary, salt + pepper, until well coated.
  6. Line a large baking sheet with parchment [optional, but nice for quick clean up!] and spread the fries, in a single layer on the pan.  Use two pans, if needed.  You don’t want them stacked.
  7. Bake for 45min – 1hr, depending on how done you like them, tossing 3-4 times. [Mine were in for about an hour]
  8. Add more salt + pepper to your liking.

Unlike the russet beer baked fries, with these you could actually taste the beer!  It wasn’t overpowering at all, but a nice hint of brown ale in the background.  The exterior of the fries crisped well, but as typical with sweet tater fries, they had a creamy interior.  If you’re not looking to taste the beer as much, make sure to drain as much as possible and try using a lighter ale.

Definite success!

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Time to do that whole sleep thang.

Night!

Ashley