Vegetables Okra Roasted Sweet Potato and Okra Salad 5.0 (2,855) 1 Review Marcus Samuelsson drew on African staples like yams and okra to create this completely original recipe of roasted sweet potatoes tossed with red potatoes, wilted spinach, and sautéed okra. Toasted mustard seeds and a caper vinaigrette give this delicious salad a nutty, tangy flavor. By Marcus Samuelsson Marcus Samuelsson F&W Star Chef » See All F&W Chef Superstars Marcus Samuelsson, the superstar chef behind restaurants in New York, Chicago, Southern California and Sweden tells Food & Wine about his time-intensive fried chicken, the best theater to visit in Harlem and how to get guests dancing at a dinner party. What’s your most requested recipe, the one dish you’re most known for? At Red Rooster people love our fried chicken. It takes three days. First we cure it, then we marinate it in buttermilk and coconut milk, then we then fry it on low heat, then on high heat. It comes out golden and crispy, it’s one of the most popular things on our menu. What’s your favorite cookbook of all time?White Heat, by Marco Pierre White. I think my mom or my sister bought it for me for some holiday when I lived in Sweden. Just the visual aspect of him being a young chef, and not looking like any other chef, I related to that as a black chef. Obviously he wasn’t black, but he offered a difference. When the book came out in 1990, he wasn’t even 30 and had two Michelin stars. Yet he wasn’t French, he was English, he had long hair and was pissed off all the time. I was drawn to all of that. What’s one technique or dish everyone should know? How to make Swedish meatballs. They’re so comforting. The best have equal parts pork, beef and veal—ground pork shoulder for the fat, then beef and veal for flavor. Then we generally add onions, some bread crumbs, honey as a sweetener, and then I like to add a pinch of berbere spice mix. After you shape them, it’s a good idea to put them in the freezer for about 15 to 20 minutes to firm them up; if you fry the meatballs at room temperature, they sometimes fall apart. Cook them first on low heat until they’re cooked through, then crank up the heat to give them a little color. Set them out on a platter with mashed potatoes or braised cabbage and let everyone serve themselves. Can you share one great entertaining tip? I like to teach Ethiopian tribal dance moves during my parties. Most of my friends aren’t Ethiopian, so it’s pretty memorable for them. If you Google “Ethiopian tribal dance,” you’ll see what I’m talking about. The moves are the same for men and women, and everyone looks silly, so it’s a fun icebreaker. What are 5 cool places in New York City where you like to take out-of-town friends?Obviously, the Apollo Theater in Harlem is amazing. Sometimes my Swedish friends are surprised when they start booing people off the stage, but that’s always a good time. The High Line is beautiful any time of the year. I love to walk the whole length of it; it gives you a totally different look at the city. I always feel lucky to live in New York afterward. Nothing beats hitting a museum. MoMA (the Museum of Modern Art) can get crazy crowded, but I can still walk around at my own pace. I’m such a huge fan of Lichtenstein, Warhol, Basquiat, and they’re all there. For Swedes, stand-up comedy is something very American, and when my Swedish friends come here, it’s one of the first things they want to do. I’ll often take them to Caroline’s, depending on the comedian. Then you’ve got to go to K-Town, Koreatown, for some karaoke and kimchi. I’d suggest a place but part of the point is to get lost in translation—to end up at some random karaoke joint where they tell you “fourth floor, on the left, booth No. 29!” Nothing beats being a foreigner in the city where you live. You discover something about your own home. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on November 21, 2019 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: © John Kernick Active Time: 45 mins Total Time: 1 hrs 20 mins Yield: 12 Ingredients 1 pound red potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes 3/4? cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil Salt and freshly ground pepper 3 pounds orange sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes 1 tablespoon mustard seeds 5 ounces spinach, large stems discarded, leaves rinsed (8 cups packed) 1 pound small okra, thawed if frozen 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 3 tablespoons drained and chopped capers Directions Preheat the oven to 350°. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the red potatoes with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and spread them in an even layer. Season with salt and pepper. Bake the potatoes in the middle of the oven for about 30 minutes, or until they'e lightly browned and just tender. Let cool. On each of 2 large rimmed baking sheets, toss half of the sweet potatoes with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Spread the sweet potatoes in an even layer and season with salt and pepper. Bake the potatoes on the upper and lower racks of the oven for about 20 minutes, or until lightly browned and just tender; switch the sheets halfway through for even cooking. Let the sweet potatoes cool. In a large skillet, toast the mustard seeds over moderately high heat until they start popping, about 3 minutes. Transfer the seeds to a small bowl. Add the rinsed spinach leaves—they will still be wet—to the skillet and cook over moderately high heat, tossing with tongs, until completely wilted. Transfer the spinach to a colander to cool. Lightly squeeze the spinach dry and then coarsely chop. Wipe out the skillet. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and heat until shimmering. Add the okra, season with salt and pepper and cook over moderate heat, turning a few times, until the okra is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. In a very large bowl, mix the vinegar with the capers and the remaining 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Add the red potatoes, sweet potatoes, mustard seeds, spinach and okra and toss well to coat. Transfer the salad to a platter and serve. Make Ahead The recipe can be prepared through Step 3 one day in advance. Refrigerate the red potatoes, sweet potatoes, spinach and okra separately. Bring the ingredients to room temperature before proceeding. Keep the mustard seeds covered at room temperature. Rate it Print