Roasted Sweet Potato Spears with Bacon Vinaigrette

As I mentioned earlier this week, I went to a cooking with bacon class at Sur La Table last weekend. For $69 we made four different dishes, all featuring bacon. Probably my favorite recipe of the class was one of the simplest (despite the long instructions below). In a nutshell, you bake sweet potato fries in bacon grease and then cover in more bacon (with a nice vinaigrette). The sweet and savory result made me go back for seconds. Enjoy!

Roasted Sweet Potato Spears with Bacon Vinaigrette (8-10 servings)

Ingredients

• 4 pounds (about 7) medium sweet potatoes
• 1/2 pound sliced bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide pieces
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 TB sherry vinegar
• 1 TB water

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and place a rack in the center.

Peel sweet potatoes, then cut each lengthwise into 6 spears. Cut spears in half crosswise and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Set aside.

Place bacon pieces in a large skillet and heat over medium heat. cook bacon, stirring occasionally, until crispy, about 10-12 minutes. Using a slotted spoon or spider, transfer cooked bacon pieces to a paper towel-lined plate.

Pour bacon fat from skillet through a fine-mesh strainer directly onto the potato spears, tossing well with tongs to coat. Sprinkle spears generously with salt and pepper. Transfer pan to preheated oven and roast, turning spears every 15-20 minutes, until potatoes are tender and edges are browned, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Transfer roasted potato spears to a heatproof serving dish.

To prepare bacon vinaigrette, return cooked bacon pieces to a clean, large skillet. Add olive oil and heat over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add shallots, stirring well to combine. Cook, stirring often, until shallots are softened and translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in vinegar, water, 1 tsp salt, and several grinds of pepper. Pour hot bacon vinaigrette over roasted potato spears. Toss potatoes well and serve warm.