Sweet Potato Rösti with Roasted Tomatoes and Quick Coriander Chimichurri Salsa

Ingredients

Serves 4

2 large sweet potatoes (about 600g/11/4lb) 

1 tsp sea salt 

3 spring onions (scallions) (about 65g/2¼oz), finely sliced 

30g (1oz) plain (all-purpose), white spelt or chickpea (gram) flour 

1 tsp smoked paprika 

1 egg, beaten 

1 tbsp rapeseed (canola) oil 


For the roasted tomatoes:

250g (9oz) cherry tomatoes on the vine 

1 tsp sea salt 

2 tbsp olive oil 

For the quick coriander chimichurri salsa:

1 garlic clove, very finely chopped

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp hot paprika

1 red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

100ml (3 1/2 fl oz) olive oil

Bunch of coriander, leaves and stalks chopped

3 handfuls of parsley leaves, chopped

salt and pepper

Soft-boiled eggs, to serve (optional)

Recipe

This giant rösti is a little like a Spanish tortilla, only we’ve ditched the Spanish vibe in favour of a Mexican party. Make the chimichurri while the sweet potatoes are sitting, and then relax with a cup of coffee and the papers. Before long, you will be having a feast. I like this with any kind of egg, whether fried, poached, or softly boiled.

You will need a well-seasoned heavy-bottomed or non-stick frying pan (skillet) with an ovenproof handle. 

Peel the sweet potatoes and coarsely grate. Toss with the salt and leave in a colander for 1 hour. In the meantime, make the chimichurri salsa. Whizz up all the salsa ingredients in a food processor or bash together in a pestle and mortar for a rougher texture.

After an hour, preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/375°F/gas 5. Put all the ingredients for the roasted tomatoes in a small baking dish and roast in the oven for 15–20 minutes. 

Now, take a handful of the sweet potato mixture and squeeze the liquid out with your hands. Repeat this until the mixture you are left with is relatively dry. Add the spring onion to the sweet potato with the flour and paprika. Mix together until combined and then beat in the egg with a fork. 

Heat the frying pan on a medium heat and add the oil. Add the rösti mixture and flatten into the pan. Cook on a low–medium heat for 8–10 minutes. Move the pan from the hob to the same oven as the tomatoes, putting the rösti on the top shelf. Bake for 15–20 minutes. Remove from the oven when the tomatoes are roasted and the rösti is golden brown. 

Carefully turn the rösti out onto a plate before slicing and serving topped with roasted tomatoes, the eggs, if using, and a generous spoonful of chimichurri.