Hasselback Sweet Potatoes with Goat Cheese Cream, Crispy Chickpeas and Paprika Butter

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 220 °C / 425 °F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. 2

   Place each sweet potato between two wooden spoons or thick chopsticks and make thin slices across the top without cutting all the way through, creating the hasselback effect. Transfer them to the baking sheet.

3. 3

   Mix 30 ml (2 tbsp) olive oil with 1 teaspoon sweet paprika, half of the garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of black pepper. Brush the sweet potatoes, making sure some of the mixture gets into the cuts.

4. 4

   Roast the sweet potatoes for 25 minutes at 220 °C / 425 °F.

5. 5

   Meanwhile, dry the chickpeas very well and toss them with 15 ml (1 tbsp) olive oil, 1 teaspoon sweet paprika, the ground cumin, the remaining garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a little black pepper.

6. 6

   Remove the baking sheet from the oven, gently fan open the cuts in the sweet potatoes, and scatter the chickpeas around them. Return everything to the oven for 20 more minutes at 220 °C / 425 °F, until the sweet potatoes are tender and the chickpeas are crisp.

7. 7

   In a bowl, mix the goat cheese with the Greek yogurt, lemon zest, and 15 ml (1 tbsp) lemon juice until smooth and creamy. Stir in half of the chives and set aside.

8. 8

   In a small bowl, mix the melted butter with the honey, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of pepper. When 5 minutes of cooking remain, remove the tray, spoon this butter over the sweet potatoes, and let a little drip into the cuts.

9. 9

   Return the tray to the oven and roast for the final 5 minutes at 220 °C / 425 °F to glaze the sweet potatoes.

10. 10

    Serve each sweet potato with a generous spoonful of goat cheese cream, scatter the crispy chickpeas over or alongside, and finish with the remaining chives and any spiced juices from the tray.