Friday, July 15, 2011

Bobby Flay's Grilled Sweet Potato Salad

This month's celebrity cook along over at Happier Than A Pig in Mud features Bobby Flay. Are you a Bobby Flay fan? Is it me or has Bobby mellowed a bit the past couple of years? Maybe, like me, people were finding him a bit arrogant. Whether or not you like him, one thing is for sure, the man can grill!

When I was planning our meals for Fourth of July weekend, I found Bobby's recipe for Sweet Potato salad. Tim's not a traditional potato salad fan. Since potato salad is synonymous with 4th of July, this recipe was perfect. I'd been wanting to try sweet potato salad!

The flavors in this salad are delicious. The sharpness of the balsamic vinegar, the sweetness of the potatoes and the salty bacon all compliment each other. This salad gets better after it sits a day or two and the dressing has a chance to soak into the potatoes.





Grilled Sweet Potato Salad with Bacon & Herb Vinaigrette
Recipe Courtesy of Bobby Flay

3 large sweet potatoes
1 T. plus 1/4 cup olive oil
8 oz bacon, diced
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 t. fresh thyme, finely chopped
Salt and ground black pepper
1/4 cup canola oil

1. In a large pot of salted water, boil the potatoes until just cooked but not completely soft, 25 - 30 minutes, depending on the size. Test by piercing a potato with a thin bamboo skewer. (I used a fork) When the skewer meets some resistance but can slide all the way through, the potatoes are ready. Drain them immediately; set aside and let cool.

2. Heat grill to medium.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium saute pan over high heat. Add the bacon; cook until golden brown and crispy. (I didn't add the olive oil) Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels.

4. Return the pan to the heat, adding the shallots to the rendered fat, cook until golden brown and slightly caramelized, about 3 minutes. (I skimmed off most of the remaining bacon fat) Add the vinegar and cook for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in 1/4 cup olive oil, herbs and salt and pepper to taste.

5. Cut the potatoes into 1/4 inch slices; brush both sides of the potato slices with canola oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Grill until slightly charred on both sides and just cooked through, about 5 minutes total.

6. Place the potatoes in a bowl while they're still warm and gently toss with the dressing. Sprinkle with the crispy bacon. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Thanks to Lynn at Happier Than A Pig in Mud for another fun Celebrity Cook Along! In addition, I am linking to Foodie Friday and Miz Helen's Full Plate Thursday!!

18 comments:

  1. This is really different Julie, it sounds great! Love the pretty grill marks on the potatoes and bacon just makes everything better! I agree with you Bobby seems to have mellowed, I enjoy watching him more now. Thanks for joining the Cook-Along:@)

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  2. This looks delightful - I'm all about sweet potatoes :)

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  3. I love sweet potatoes, this sounds great!

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  4. looks so good, Julie, I'm not a traditional potato salad person either! Looks so good with the grill marks, so much good flavor in that salad.

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  5. I agree with you on Bobby. I used to not want to watch anything with him but then he started doing that throwdown show and he seemed genuinely humble.

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  6. What a delicious change from a mustard potato salad. Perfect for a bbq don't you think?

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  7. Never heard of Sweet Potato salad but it does sound good.

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  8. Hi Julie!

    We love sweet potatoes and this sounds like a fantastic way to eat them...and probably better than the butter and sugar we usually use.

    I'm having an ice cream social on Sunday. I hope you stop by.

    Have a great weekend! La

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  9. Hi Julie - totally agree about Bobby mellowing. I think it really started when he and Stephanie got married! Plus, he's getting older (as am I!!) and I think that mellows us all a bit... I watch and enjoy his shows. You picked a great recipe!

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  10. This looks amazing. Bookmarked!

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  11. This is really different & interesting sounding! I'm saving it & also sending your link to my Vegan sister, who will LOVE to make it...sans the bacon, of course.

    Thanks for sharing!
    fondly,
    Rett

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  12. I love the grill marks on those sweet potatoes!
    Time2EatYall

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  13. I'm making another one of his grilled potato salads with red potatoes for dinner tonight! This looks delicious and I love sweet potatoes. The dressing sounds wonderful.

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  14. This is a perfect dish if you ask me! I love that vinaigrette and sweet potatoes are always my potatoes of choice!

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  15. Hi Julie,
    Bobby Flay wins every time, this is a great recipe. We just love sweet potatoes ant the grill in the summer so we will really enjoy this dish.Thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and hope to see you next week. Hope you are having a great week end.
    Miz Helen

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  16. When summer is hot, it's nice to do as much cooking outside on the grill as possible. This potato salad makes a nice addition to a meal. I think being married to a fun loving Texan has lightened up his personality.

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  17. I never thought to do sweet potatoes in a salad like this - looks delicious!

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