Sweet Potatoes with Bacon and Spinach

• 4 pounds sweet potatoes, Jewel or Garnet
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup sherry, reduced by half
• 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon sliced sage leaves
• 2 teaspoons thyme leaves
• 3/4-pound slab bacon
• 1/2 pound young spinach, cleaned
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
2. Peel the sweet potatoes, and cut them into 1 1/2-inch cubes.
3. Place them in a large bowl and toss with the sugar and reduced sherry.
4. In a medium saute pan, cook the butter over medium heat 6 to 8 minutes, until its brown and smells nutty.
5. Remove from the heat and let cool a few minutes.
6. Add the sage and thyme to the butter, and pour it over the sweet potatoes, scraping the pan with a rubber spatula to get all the brown bits.
7. Toss with a large spoon, being careful of the hot butter.
8. Season with 1 tablespoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
9. Transfer the sweet potatoes to a large roasting pan and bake in the oven 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the potatoes are caramelized and tender.
10. Stir with a metal spatula every so often, to coat the potatoes evenly with the butter and sugar.
11. While the potatoes are cooking, slice the bacon lengthwise into 3/8-inch-thick slices.
12. Stack them in two piles, then cut the strips crosswise into 3/8-inch even-sided rectangles, or lardons.
13. Heat a large saute pan over medium heat for 1 minute.
14. Add the bacon, and cook about 5 minutes, until its tender and lightly crisped.
15. Using a slotted spoon, transfer it to a plate.
16. When the sweet potatoes are done, remove the pan from the oven and toss in the bacon and spinach.
17. Taste for seasoning.

sweet potatoes, brown sugar, sherry, butter, sage, thyme, bacon, young spinach, kosher salt

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/sweet-potatoes-with-bacon-and-spinach-391106 (may not work)