Recipe Sleuth: Teaism’s Miso-Glazed Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes drizzled with a tahini-spiked dressing. Photograph by Chris Leaman.

One of our readers was inspired to request the recipe for the miso-glazed sweet potatoes served at Teaism—and apparently a lot of others are enamored with the side dish, too. Michelle Brown, co-owner of the trio of teahouse/cafes, says the Penn Quarter location goes through about 200 pounds of it every day. The recipe, an adaptation of a classic Japanese dish, was developed ten years ago by longtime chef Arpad Lengyel. To give it a twist, he adds tahini, which is traditionally used in Middle Eastern cooking. Its nutty flavor paired with sugar and sweet mirin wine is something we’re now enamored of, too.

Serves 8 as a side.

Bake the sweet potatoes:

4 large sweet potatoes
Canola oil, as needed

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Peel the sweet potatoes and chop them into 1½-inch chunks. Toss with enough canola oil to coat the potatoes lightly but evenly. Add the potatoes to a small baking pan; you want to crowd the potatoes in the pan to help them steam. Bake for 25 minutes, then let cool.

Make the sesame-miso dressing:

1⁄3 cup yellow miso paste
2⁄3 cup tahini
1 cup water
¼ cup mirin
3 tablespoons sugar

Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk until completely blended. Taste and adjust seasoning with sugar. This dressing is best if it’s prepared and kept overnight to allow the flavors to mingle.

To serve, portion the baked sweet potatoes onto each plate, and drizzle with sesame-miso dressing.

Have a restaurant recipe you'd like sniffed out? E-mail recipesleuth@washingtonian.com.