Christmas hasselback sweet potato centerpiece with sage butter, cranberries, and crunchy hazelnuts

Instructions

1. 1

   1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C / 400 °F. Lightly grease a large baking dish with a little of the olive oil.

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   2. Place each sweet potato between two wooden spoons or thick chopsticks to prevent cutting all the way through. Make thin slices across each potato, leaving the base intact.

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   3. In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, remaining olive oil, chopped sage, garlic, salt, black pepper, and maple syrup.

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   4. Arrange the sweet potatoes in the baking dish and brush them well with about two-thirds of the butter mixture, making sure some gets into the slices.

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   5. Loosely cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes at 200 °C / 400 °F.

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   6. Meanwhile, combine the dried cranberries and orange juice in a small bowl and let them sit for 15 minutes so they soften slightly.

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   7. Remove the dish from the oven, carefully uncover, and brush the sweet potatoes again with the remaining butter mixture. Return to the oven uncovered and roast for 20 to 25 more minutes at 200 °C / 400 °F, until tender inside and golden at the edges.

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   8. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, sprinkle the chopped hazelnuts over the sweet potatoes so they toast further and lightly adhere to the surface.

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   9. Remove the dish from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Top with the cranberries and any remaining orange juice, lemon zest, crumbled goat cheese, and fresh parsley.

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    10. Serve hot, using a spoon to gently open the slices of the sweet potatoes and distribute the cranberry, hazelnut, and cheese topping over each portion.