Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes with Spinach and Coconut Milk

[Guest guest]

Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes with Spinach and Coconut

Milk

 

4 sweet potatoes, 10 to 11 ounces each,

scrubbed

2 tbsps. canola oil, plus more for rubbing on the potatoes

2

tbsps. minced gingerroot

2 tbsps. Thai red curry paste

1 1/4 lbs.

flat-leaf spinach, stems removed unless very thin, leaves, washed, shaken dry to

remove excess water, and chopped, about 8 cups

salt

1/3 cup unsweetened

coconut milk

3 tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro leaves

 

Move an oven rack to the middle position and heat

the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly rub each potato with a little oil. Place

potatoes on a foil lined baking sheet and bake until the skin is crisp and a

skewer slides easily through the flesh, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Remove

baking sheet from oven and set the sweet potatoes aside on a rack to cool for 10

minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees.

While the sweet

potatoes are cooling, heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan over

medium heat until simmering. Add the ginger and the curry paste and cook until

fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the damp spinach, cover, and cook, stirring once

or twice, until completely wilted, about 5 minutes. Add salt to taste and set

the spinach mixture aside.

Using a folded kitchen towel to hold the hot sweet

potatoes, cut each one in half lengthwise. (If possible, cut so that the flat

side of the sweet potatoes will rest on the baking sheet.) With a spoon, scoop

the flesh from each half into a medium bowl, leaving a 1/4 inch of the flesh and

skin in each shell. Arrange the empty sweet potato shells on the baking

sheet.

Mash the sweet potatoes in the bowl with the coconut milk until

smooth. Stir in the spinach mixture and cilantro. Adjust the seasonings, adding

salt to taste.

Mound the sweet potato filling into each shell. Bake until the

top of the filling is firm and slightly crisp, about 15 minutes. Remove the

baking sheet from the oven and cool the sweet potatoes on the baking sheet for 5

minutes. Serve. serves 4.