Sluttishly Savoury: Sweet Potato, Chorizo & Feta Salad

You say potato, and I say... well, I also say potato, because I'm not a complete fool. What else do I say? I say that potato salad is one of summer's greatest pleasures. From mayo-smothered, chive-flecked traditional potato salad, to Caleigh's nifty - and gluten free - hot potato salad that's cooked on the barbecue, I am likely to be seen hovering near the bowl, plaintively asking if I can have seconds.

I have been experimenting this week with sweet potato salad, the chunks of potato baked in the oven before being coated with a dressing of red wine vinegar, honey and lime. As the title of this recipe suggests, I did not stop there. Oh no, dear reader, there was almost no stopping me. I also added some fried chorizo, salty feta, and a few lovely bits of cooked red pepper. This was a pretty bloody brilliant experiment. Go forth and sweet potato.

Sweet Potato, Chorizo & Feta Salad (serves 4-6 as a side)
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30-35 minutes
Cooling time: About 20 minutes

You will need:

• 1kg sweet potatoes (I used 2 large ones), peeled and roughly chopped
• A glug of olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 225g chorizo (that's 1 ring in Asda and possibly a few other places, too!), skin removed and sliced into half moons
• 1 red pepper, roughly chopped
• 100g feta
• Small bunch of flat-leaf parsley to garnish

For the dressing

• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar 
• 1 tbsp runny honey
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Juice of half a lime
• Pinch of chilli flakes
• 1 spring onion, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper

Make it!

1. Preheat the oven to 230°C/450°F/Gas Mark 8. 
2. Spread the sweet potato chunks over a baking tray, coat with a little oil, and season well. Place in the centre of the oven for 30-35 minutes, until cooked through. 
3. Meanwhile, fry the chorizo until crispy, adding the red pepper towards the end and cooking until soft. Drain the chorizo and the pepper on a wad of kitchen roll, and leave to cool.
4. When the sweet potatoes are done, remove from the oven and set aside to cool. While that's happening, make the dressing by combining the red wine vinegar, honey, olive oil, lime juice, chilli flakes, and spring onion and whisking with a fork. Season to taste.
5. Once everything is at room temperature, put the potatoes, chorizo and red pepper in a large bowl. Give the dressing a final stir, and pour over the salad. Combine everything gently using your hands - forks and spoons and dinosaur salad servers are all a bit too aggressive for the delicate baked sweet potato. 
6. Finish by crumbling the feta over the top, and tearing in a few parsley leaves. This is best served right away, but you can chill it in the fridge if you prefer an ice-cold tattie salad (and if you do, I'd wait and add the parsley just before serving to avoid wilt and droop).