For most grillers, vegetables are an afterthought, slapped onto a hot grate and often served charred and mushy. It does not have to be that way. A sweet potato or eggplant can have the character and drama of a steak or chop—if you cook them on a rotisserie.
“Long, slow, controlled heat—the main benefit to cooking cuts of meat on a rotisserie—can easily be applied to large vegetables,” says Tony Cervone, the chef at Souvla in San Francisco, creator of the recipe below. Don’t have a rotisserie? Attachments can fit gas and charcoal models and cost as little as $35 at home-improvement stores.
Makes 2 servings
Ingredients
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp salt
- 4 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 3⁄4 cup olive oil
- 1 bunch each fresh rosemary, oregano, and thyme
- 1 large sweet potato (preferably Japanese white sweet potato)
- 1 leek
How to make it
Make dressing by combining mustard, garlic, oregano, and salt in a bowl. Whisk lemon juice. Slowly whisk in oil.
Make herb brush by bundling together rosemary, oregano, and thyme at their stems. Make a handle out of the base of a whole leek by removing the green tops and half an inch from white bottom. Make a lengthwise cut so that you can loosen and remove the center of the leek. Place the stems of the herb bundle inside of the leek handle and tie with twine.
Prepare grill for medium-high heat. Rub sweet potato with dressing and secure it on a rotisserie spit. Roast until cooked fully through but not falling apart, 45 minutes to an hour, using the herb brush to occasionally base with the dressing.
Remove sweet potato and allow it to cool. Slice into thick rounds and serve over a salad of kale, romaine, walnuts, and olives tossed with more dressing.
