SWEET POTATO WITH GREEN SAUCE AND RED SALSA

25 MINS

SERVES 4

This Argentinian green sauce, chimichurri, is one of my favourites, full of herbs and garlic and tangy punch. If your avocado is ripe but firm, slice it or dice it; if it’s soft, smash it. You could smash tender peas or broad beans instead. Leftover salsa and chimichurri are fantastic on fried eggs.

For the chimichurri

— 15g flat-leaf parsley, stalks and all, finely chopped

— 1 green chilli, deseeded if you prefer, finely chopped

— 2 tsp dried oregano or thyme

— 1 fat garlic clove, finely chopped

— 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

— 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, sherry vinegar or red-wine vinegar

For the tomato salsa

— 4 medium, ripe vine tomatoes, halved

— 1 medium white or red onion, quartered

— 1-2 serrano chilli peppers or 2-3 jalapeños

— 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

— 1 garlic clove, finely chopped

— juice of 1 lime

— 1 tsp ground cumin or ½ tsp cumin seeds — about 10g fresh coriander, roughly chopped

For the sweet potato

— 3 sweet potatoes (long and thin are best), scrubbed well but unpeeled, sliced into 1cm-thick circles

— 2 tsp coconut oil or olive oil

— 1 large ripe avocado, destoned, peeled and sliced

Prepare a barbecue or heat a griddle pan. Mix the chimichurri ingredients together in a bowl and season to taste.

To make the salsa, brush the tomato halves, onion quarters and whole chillies with a little oil and griddle for about four minutes on each side, until lightly charred. Transfer to a food processor or a pestle and mortar and blitz or pound with the garlic and lime juice, then season to taste. Briefly stir or blitz in the cumin, remaining oil and coriander.

Brush the sweet-potato slices with coconut oil or olive oil and grill on the barbecue or griddle pan (in batches if necessary) for about three minutes on each side, until tender.

Serve the hot sweetpotato slices on a platter with the avocado slices and two small bowls containing salsa and chimichurri. Let everyone help themselves by piling the sauces on top.