Holy Moly I've Almost Used Up All That Pomegranate Molasses - Seared Sweet Taters With Sausage and Radicchio...And Pomegranate Molasses!

Owing to an ordering mistake on Amazon Marketplace 2 YEARS AGO, I have been working through what seemed a lifetime supply of pomegranate molasses. These are the mistakes one makes when one has no idea what a product should cost. There is a big difference between 2 bottles and 2 cases. Fortunately, it makes a lovely substitution for honey in a great many things, and I love Middle Eastern food, so it's not gone to waste. Plus I think you could put it in a time capsule and open it up in 150 years and still eat it. Stuff has staying power.

This month's BA had a lovely-looking recipe for sweet potatoes with sausage, and it includes radicchio, which is Cabbage of the Gods as far as this girl is concerned. I love to grill it although it loses its lovely purple color when it's cooked. AND it calls for some pomegranate molasses.

It's basically baked and seared sweet potatoes topped with a wilted salad of radicchio, sausage and a tangy dressing, sitting on a bit of yogurt, with mint and some crunchy pecans sprinkled on top. It's very easy, very little chopping. And yummy!

Mangia!

Seared Sweet Potatoes with Sausage and Radicchio

PUBLISHED: JANUARY 2015

BON APPETIT

Ingredients

Sweet Potatoes And Nuts

1 garlic clove finely grated (Excuse me? One? I went with three)

3 tablespoons plus ½ tsp. olive oil

2 large or 4 small sweet potatoes, preferably garnet, scrubbed

Kosher salt

¼ cup pecans, chopped

Sausage And Assembly

1 head Treviso radicchio, leaves separated and torn into pieces (my stores don't generally carry Treviso. I went with regular head of radicchio, and sliced it thinly. The difference is Treviso is shaped like an oversized Belgian endive)

2 tablespoons plus 1 tsp. olive oil

8 oz. merguez sausage, casings removed (Another "can't be found in town". I looked it up. Appears to not be like a smoked sausage, it has a looser consistency, like chorizo or Italian sausage, but highly spiced and not smoked. I went with spicy hot Italian sausage. You can back off on the oil for the browning step in this case... plus, it's PIG, so I went with a full pound)

½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper or ¼ crushed red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses

1 teaspoon Sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar

Kosher salt

⅓ cup plain sheep’s milk or Greek yogurt

¼ cup fresh mint leaves

Preparation

Sweet Potatoes And Nuts

Preheat oven to 400°. Mix garlic and 3 Tbsp. oil in a small bowl. Prick sweet potatoes all over with a fork and rub with half of garlic oil; set remaining garlic oil aside. Season with salt and roast on a rimmed baking sheet, turning once, until flesh is soft and yielding, 45–55 minutes. Remove from oven; reduce heat to 350°.

Toss pecans and remaining ½ tsp. oil on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt. Toast, tossing once, until slightly darkened and fragrant, 8–10 minutes.

Let sweet potatoes cool slightly, then cut in half lengthwise. Brush cut sides with reserved garlic oil. Heat a large heavy skillet over medium. Cook sweet potatoes, cut side down, pressing lightly with a spatula, until browned and charred in spots, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and reserve skillet.

Sausage And Assembly

Place radicchio in a large bowl. Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in reserved skillet over medium-high. Cook sausage, breaking up with a spoon, until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Stir in Aleppo pepper. Transfer meat to a plate with a slotted spoon and pour off all but 2 Tbsp. fat from skillet.

Reduce heat to medium. Combine pomegranate molasses, vinegar, and ¼ cup water in skillet, stirring to combine and scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until sauce is slightly thickened, about 3 minutes, then drizzle over radicchio. Add reserved sausage and toss to coat; season with salt.

Mix yogurt and remaining 1 tsp. oil in a small bowl, thinning with a little water to make pourable; season with salt. Divide yogurt among plates and top with sweet potatoes. Arrange sausage mixture over, along with any pan juices. Top with pecans and mint.