Thick slices of sweet potato turn soft inside and caramelise at the edges. Creamy, tangy feta, spicy honey and toasted pumpkin seeds make this a starter with both contrast and balance.
Sweet potato has a mild, sweet flavour of its own. Roasting thick slices in a hot oven deepens that sweetness: the cut sides colour and caramelise while the centre stays soft. Cut the slices about two centimetres thick so they don’t dry out before they colour. Arrange them with space between them on the baking sheet; if they’re crowded together, they’ll steam rather than roast. A thin coating of olive oil helps the outside brown evenly.
The whipped feta brings saltiness and freshness to balance the sweet potato. Feta blended with a spoonful of yoghurt in a food processor or with a hand blender becomes smooth and light enough to spread over the slices. A little lemon juice makes the cheese less rich and keeps the flavour bright. The saltiness of feta varies by brand, so taste the cream before adding any more salt. If the feta is very firm, add a small splash of extra yoghurt; don’t use a large amount, or the topping will become thin.
Honey with chilli flakes adds warmth and a little stickiness, rather than making a distinctly hot sauce. Warm the honey briefly and gently, just until it becomes runny, then stir in the chilli. Don’t let it boil: that makes the honey unnecessarily hot and can overpower the flavour. Start with a small amount of chilli if you want a mild topping; you can add extra flakes at the table. Toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry frying pan. Shake the pan regularly and take them out as soon as they smell fragrant and begin to colour here and there, as they burn quickly.
Serve the slices on a platter with the feta underneath or in separate dollops on top, so both textures remain visible. This starter works well before a meal of legumes, roasted vegetables or grilled fish; keep the portions modest in that case. For a plant-based version, you can replace the feta and yoghurt with a firm plant-based white cheese and unsweetened plant-based yoghurt, though their saltiness varies by product. You can roast the sweet potato ahead and keep it chilled; reheat the slices covered in an oven at 180 °C until piping hot throughout. Add the feta, honey and seeds just before serving so the seeds stay crisp.
Preheat the oven to 220 °C (200 °C fan). Line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Wash the sweet potatoes and cut them into slices about 2 cm thick. Toss them with the olive oil, salt and a few turns of black pepper. Arrange them with space between them on the baking sheet.
Roast the slices for 25–30 minutes. Turn them over halfway through. They’re ready when they’re soft in the middle and golden brown at the edges.
Meanwhile, toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry frying pan over medium heat. Shake the pan regularly and take the seeds out as soon as they smell fragrant and begin to colour lightly.
Blend the feta, Greek yoghurt and lemon juice in a food processor or with a hand blender until smooth and creamy. Taste and add a little more black pepper if you like.
Warm the honey in a small saucepan over low heat until it becomes runny. Stir in the chilli flakes and remove the pan from the heat.
Spread the whipped feta over a platter and arrange the warm sweet potato slices on top. Drizzle with the chilli honey and scatter over the toasted pumpkin seeds. Serve immediately.
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