After Everything Else, The Bird Is Secondary

Thanksgiving approaches, my friends! I am full of excitement for this holiday is indeed my favorite - containing all the merriment, togetherness, and fine dining without the oppressive materialism and over-the-top schmaltz of Christmas. This is not to say that I don't adore the magic of the holidays, but I prefer simpler celebrations.

Additionally, I could care less if a turkey was involved as it is the side dishes that truly pique my palate during the Thanksgiving meal (contrary to The New York Times' Kim Severson who believes that "After the Bird, Everything Else Is Secondary"). I fail to enjoy the Turkey flavor, the I hope to write much more on my favorite side dishes in the coming weeks (my ode to stuffing will be arriving shortly)!

To start, here is recipe I am hoping to make for my family's traditional sweet potato dish:

Roasted sweet potatoes with chorizo, orange and sage
(courtesy of Tyler Florence)

• 2 links chorizo, casing removed and roughly chopped

• Extra-virgin olive oil

• 6 stems fresh sage

• 4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1 tablespoon fresh orange zest

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Begin by setting a large saute pan over low heat. Add about 4 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil and add sage leaves. Cook until crispy, then drain and set aside. Add chorizo to the pan with the oil and brown for 4-5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Add cubed sweet potatoes to the pan and toss to coat evenly. Brown for 2-3 minutes and season with salt and pepper, then place the whole pan in the preheated oven. Cook for 25-30 minutes until tender, then remove from oven and shower with fresh orange zest. Stir to coat well, then sprinkle with cooked chorizo and garnish with crispy fried sage.

Image found here. Recipe found here.