Ember-Roasted Sweet Potatoes With Aged Feta

Name: Ember-Roasted Sweet Potatoes With Aged Feta
Prep time: PT0D0H0M
Cook time: PT0D0H10M
Total time: PT0D0H10M
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 4 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed, ends trimmed; ¼ cup ghee (clarified butter), divided; 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. kosher salt, divided; 6 oz. feta, crumbled (½ cup); Honey and crushed red chile flakes or hot sauce, for serving

This fireside snack is seasoned with salty cheese and a drizzle of honey and hot sauce.

Serves
4
Time
10 minutes, plus cooking time

CHEYENNE ELLIS (COURTESY CHRONICLE BOOKS)

By Scott Clark

Published on April 3, 2025

Cooked in hot coals until fluffy on the inside and charred on the outside, these sweet potatoes need little adornment—honey, briny feta, and chile flakes or hot sauce—to become a smoky, satisfying fireside treat. “When you cook with fire, you don’t want raging flames. You want well-controlled embers,” says chef Scott Clark, of Dad's Luncheonette, so be sure to let your fire die down before burying the potatoes. If you don’t have access to a fire, roast the foil-wrapped sweet potatoes in an oven at 425°F for 50-60 minutes for a similar result.

Featured in “Building the Ultimate Picnic Spread on the California Coast” by Scott Clark as told to Betsy Andrews in the Spring/Summer 2025 issue. See more stories from Issue 204 here.

Ingredients

4 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed, ends trimmed
¼ cup ghee (clarified butter), divided
1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. kosher salt, divided
6 oz. feta, crumbled (½ cup)
Honey and crushed red chile flakes or hot sauce, for serving

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Instructions

Step 1

Build a large fire in a firepit or a charcoal grill and let it burn down to glowing embers.

Step 2

Rub each potato with 1 tablespoon of the ghee and 1 teaspoon of the salt and wrap tightly in foil. Break up the embers with a fireplace shovel, then bury the potatoes, seam-side up, completely in the embers. Cook until the potatoes are soft in the center when pierced through the foil with a fork, 45–90 minutes. (Cook time will vary depending on the size and shape of the potatoes and how hot the embers are.)

Step 3

Remove the potatoes from the fire and carefully unwrap them. Halve the potatoes and top generously with feta, honey, and chile flakes or hot sauce.

Build a large fire in a firepit or a charcoal grill and let it burn down to glowing embers.
Rub each potato with 1 tablespoon of the ghee and 1 teaspoon of the salt and wrap tightly in foil. Break up the embers with a fireplace shovel, then bury the potatoes, seam-side up, completely in the embers. Cook until the potatoes are soft in the center when pierced through the foil with a fork, 45–90 minutes. (Cook time will vary depending on the size and shape of the potatoes and how hot the embers are.)
Remove the potatoes from the fire and carefully unwrap them. Halve the potatoes and top generously with feta, honey, and chile flakes or hot sauce.