Chef notes
What could possibly make crispy sweet potatoes better? How about a topping of candied bacon (AKA "pig candy")?
Ingredients
- 12-14 slices of medium-cut applewood smoked bacon
- 2 cups light brown sugar
- 2 medium sweet potatoes
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/2 cup toasted pecans
- 4 strips Pig Candy
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Preparation
Pig Candy:
Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
Place brown sugar in a pie dish.
Gently press each slice of bacon into sugar until coated (there can be patches of uncoated bacon, does not need to be completely coated). Work quickly as the brown sugar can compromise the moisture of the bacon and impede caramelization.
Place coated bacon on a vegetable oil sprayed wire-racked, full sheet pan.
Bake until super crispy and golden, rotating sheet pan midway through. About 50-60 minutes depending on oven and thickness of bacon.
Remove from sheet to prohibit sticking and let cool on a new surface.
Sweet Potatoes:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Lay parchment onto a half sheet pan. Spray liberally with cooking spray. Arrange sliced sweet potatoes on sheet pan, slightly overlapping, into even rows lengthwise. Discard the tiny slices and keep arranging until the pan is filled.
Mix maple syrup with the melted butter. Brush a liberal amount gently onto all exposed potato surfaces. Season with salt and fresh ground pepper. Bake until very brown at the edges, about 15 minutes.
Garnish with chopped pecans, pig candy and fresh parsley.
