Not Your Grandmother's Sweet Potatoes

Unless your grandmother is Ina Garten, (and since she has no children, I am guessing she isn't), the sweet potatoes you grew up with on Thanksgiving might have looked a lot like this:
  

Okay, well, those are the components.  It actually might have looked more like this:

There are sweet potatoes under that blanket of marshmallow, right?  We ate our potatoes like that for a long time, and when I was a kid, I did love those marshmallows.  But now that I'm a big kid, I like my sweet potatoes well-seasoned (because I don't remember those marshmallowed ones actually tasting like anything other than marshmallows), and covered in buttery, brown sugary apples.  Like this:

Mmmm.

I know I'm a little late sharing this recipe; by now I'm sure everyone is well on their way to preparing their potatoes, but keep this recipe in your back pocket, because it's good all winter long.  Orange juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg add great depth of flavor, while brown sugar amps up the sweetness ever so slightly.  Because it's Ina, there's plenty of cream and butter as well, although I often omit one or the other (usually the cream, and scale back on the butter), because sweet potatoes have such a velvety texture on their own, I don't think they need the extra richness.  But do whatever floats your boat--everything can be increased or decreased to make it suit your palate. 

Smashed Sweet Potatoes With Apples (Adapted from Barefoot Contessa Parties!)

Serves 8-10

* 4 pounds of sweet potatoes (about 6 large)
* 1/2 cup of orange juice
* 1/2 cup of heavy cream
* 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) of unsalted butter, melted
* 1/2 cup brown sugar
* 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 2 teaspoons of kosher salt
* 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
* 3 to 4 McIntosh apples
* 3 Tablespoons of unsalted butter
* 3 Tablespoons of brown sugar

1. Cook your sweet potatoes.  You can do this by either:

A) Scrubbing them, pricking them several times with a fork or knife, and baking them for about an hour (until very soft) in a 375 degree F oven.

B) Boiling them whole for about 40 minutes until very soft.

C) Peeling them, cutting them into 2 inch cubes, and boiling them for about 20 minutes or until very soft, then draining.

I prefer a or b myself.  

2. Either way, when the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them and scoop out the meat (cooking method A) or peel off the skins, (cooking method B).  Place the sweet potato meat into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl (if you're using a hand mixer).  Add the orange juice, cream, butter, brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Mix together until combined and have reached the desired level of smoothness (Ina likes hers kind of chunky, I prefer very smooth myself).  Adjust seasoning if necessary, then transfer to a baking dish.

3. Peel and core your apples, and cut them into 8 or 12 wedges.  In a large saute pan, melt the 3 tablespoons of butter and the brown sugar together over medium heat.  Add the apples and cook them, tossing often, until they begin to soften, but are still holding their shape, about 5-7 minutes.  Arrange the apples on top of the sweet potatoes, and bake at 375 degrees F for 20 to 30 minutes, until heated through. 

Prepare ahead:  I think this whole casserole can be prepared a day ahead, covered and refrigerated.  Just remember to add additional time for the whole thing to heat through.  If you prepare it earlier in the day, I think (and this is just me, I'm no food safety guru or anything), that you can leave it out, covered, and reheat when you're ready to serve.   This also freezes well--Last winter I made a large batch, and we froze it in 4 serving portions, and defrosted them as needed.  Delish!

Sweet Potato Pie?

 
I know, I was skeptical, too.  Or maybe you already know about sweet potato pie, and you're not skeptical at all, I don't know.  Truthfully, I thought this was something that only people in the South ate, and not once had I considered trying it (not that there are that many opportunities up here in the North, anyway!).  But then, in the course of 24 hours, I ran into about half a dozen recipes for sweet potato pie, and all of a sudden, my curiosity has been piqued.  After reading through several recipes, I decided on Joy's from Joy the Baker.  She was just so darn enthusiastic, I simply couldn't say no.  And it's still storming here, so with another day off on my hands, I clearly had to do something! 

The filling takes a little while from start to finish (somewhere in the neighborhood of two hours, perhaps, when you factor in cooling).  However, it can be made ahead of time and refrigerated until you're ready to bake the pie, which makes it convenient, too.  Joy makes the pie with a "no roll" crust, but I actually find that with a food processor, regular pie crust is faster to make, and rolling dough isn't that hard.  But really, this pie is all about the filling, and let me just say, Wow.  I definitely had a case of the wandering finger syndrome as I whisked the filling together (at least before I added the eggs!)  

As it baked the kitchen smelled divine,  and when it was finally baked and cool enough to eat, it not only met expectations, it surpassed them.  The filling is very similar to that of pumpkin pie, but its texture was slightly smoother, and flavor just a bit sweeter, just a little better, at least to my palate.  And I'm no pumpkin pie hater, but I truly think the sweet potato is just that much better.  Which is, needless to say, an exciting discovery.  The only thing I think I will try next time (and there will definitely be a next time), I will use just touch more spice (heaping spoons of the quantities listed below, not exact), and a touch less sugar (scant cups of the amounts listed below).  If you try this, and let me know what you think!

Sweet Potato Pie (Adapted only very slightly from Joy The Baker)

Makes one 9 or 10 inch pie

The filling is for a 10-inch pie, if you make a 9-inch on pie, you'll have a little filling leftover.  Still figuring out what to do with it...

* 2 cups mashed cooked sweet potatoes (2 large sweet potatoes)
* 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
* 1 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
* 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
* 1/8 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
* 1 12-oz can of evaporated milk, (or 2 5-oz cans)
* 1/2 cup granulated sugar * 3 large eggs
* 1 Tablespoon vanilla

1. Boil two whole large sweet potatoes in their jackets in a covered pot over moderate flame, until sweet potatoes are very soft and tender.  To test the done-ness, poke them with a sharp knife; there should be no resistance at all.  When the potatoes are done, remove them from the water and cool on a plate or wire cooling rack.

2. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel off their skins (this should be very easy, just pull it off with your fingers) and mash potatoes thoroughly with a potato masher or an electric mixer until they are totally smooth--no lumps!

3. Measure 2 cups of mashed potato into a medium sized pot, and add the brown sugar, spices, salt, butter, and half the can of evaporated milk (or one of the small cans, if that's what you're using).  Heat on low for about 5 minutes, whipping with a wire whisk until butter is melted and mixture smooth and well combined.  Remove from fire and let cool in pot. 

4. In a large bowl (I just used the same one that I mashed the potatoes in), beat the three eggs with a fork. Add the second half/second 5-oz can of evaporated milk, granulated sugar and vanilla to the eggs and continue beating until creamy. Pour the cooled sweet potato mixture from pot into the egg mixture, and blend thoroughly with a whisk or the electric mixer.  Refrigerate mixture overnight or use immediately.  

5.  When you're ready to make your pie, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F with a cookie sheet inside.  

6. Meanwhile, prepare your crust (see instructions below, or use a frozen pie crust) and keep in the freezer until the oven is hot.  When the oven is ready, remove your crust from the freezer, and fill it nearly to the top.  Place the pie on the hot cookie sheet, and bake  at 450 for ten minutes then turn oven to 325 degrees F (300 with the convection fan turned on) and bake for 1 hour more, or until edges and center are raised and puffed and the center only shakes slightly.  

7. Remove from oven.  Let cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before serving.  Can be served warm or at room temperature.

Hot out of the oven and all ready to go to the potluck!

Single Crust for a 9 or 10 inch pie (Adapted from Martha Stewart)


* 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
* Scant 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2  teaspoon sugar
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
* 2-4 Tablespoons of ice water  


1. Dice cold butter into small cubes, and stick in the freezer for at least 15 minutes, to make them very cold and hard

 
2. In the bowl of a food processor, add flour, salt, and sugar, pulse a few times to combine. 

3. Add butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds. 

4. With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream through feed tube. Pulse until dough holds together without being wet or sticky; be careful not to process more than 30 seconds. The dough won't come together in the bowl, but to test to see if there's enough water, squeeze a small amount together: If it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time

5. Turn the dough out onto a piece of saran wrap.  Corral the dough, using the plastic to press it together into a ball, then flatten in into a disc.  Use the plastic to wrap your disc of dough, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.  (Dough may be frozen for up to 1 month, too)

6. To roll the dough, lightly flour a rolling surface and your rolling pin, or place dough between two sheets of wax paper.  Start rolling from the center, and rotate the dough often to create an even circle.  Roll to about 1/4 to 1/8 inch thick, and until it reaches the correct diameter (2 inches bigger all around than the inverted pie pan).  Place your pie pan (ungreased--plenty of butter in there already!) right next to the dough, and gently lift it into the pan and center.

7. Trim any overhang that's too long, and use it to patch spots, if necessary.  Fold the overhanging dough  towards the center of the dish, and pinch the edge all the way around to create a lip.

Okay, well it's not as beautiful as the ones Martha likely makes, but hey, it will do!

Sweet Potato Mania

 
I've been on a serious sweet potato soup kick recently. It started when I invented my own sweet potato and apple soup last spring, which I submitted it to Cooking Light for their reader recipe contest. I guess it wasn't a winner (in their book), although in their Thanksgiving issue there was a nearly-identical recipe. So I made it--it was fine, but I think mine is better. Then, last week Mark Bittman, who writes an excellent column for the NYTimes called "The Minimalist," had 101 suggestions for fairly easy Thanksgiving side dishes. One that caught my eye immediately was a Thai-style squash soup, which I just made, but substituting sweet potatoes for the squash. I really like Bittman's food philosophy and he has great ideas (check out his book Food Matters if you get a chance--it will change the way you eat.) However, he's definitely not a hand-holder when it comes to instruction. To illustrate this, I give you Thai Squash Soup:

"Simmer cubed winter squash, minced garlic, chili and ginger in coconut milk, plus stock or water to cover, until soft. Purée if you like. Just before serving, add chopped cilantro, lime juice and zest, and toasted chopped peanuts."

Quantities, you ask? No need! (Mark Bittman trusts our competence, apparently.) But, if you're the kind of cook that likes to have a little more direction, here were my quantities:

* 6 sweet potatoes (4.7 lbs, according to my grocery store receipt)

* 5 large garlic cloves

* 1 piece of ginger, slightly smaller than my thumb

* 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded (but in retrospect I could have left the seeds in, or used 2 peppers, to give it more heat. My soup didn't turn out spicy, just has a subtle jalapeno flavor. For more authenticity I might suggest some kind of Thai chili (see here), but in the Nantucket Stop n Shop, a jalapeno was the best I could do

* 1 can light coconut milk (found in the international aisle--A Taste of Thai and Thai Kitchen are 2 good brands, also Trader Joe's has their own store brand).

* The dregs of a carton of chicken stock--about 1/2 a cup. I would have used more if I had it

* Water--enough to cover the sweet potato

* Juice & zest of 1 lime

* About 1/4 loosely packed cup of cilantro

And there you have it. Just peeled and chopped the sweet potatoes, gave the garlic, ginger and jalapeno a rough chop, covered with liquid and simmered until the potatoes were soft. I would definitely suggest pureeing, because the coconut milk kind of separates and forms a weird foam on top when it simmers. Once it's all pureed together it's wonderfully smooth and can be seasoned to taste. Pureeing is also great because you can cut the potato (or squash) in large, uneven chucks and you don't have to waste time mincing the garlic and ginger. Once it's all pureed the texture and flavors will all be evenly distributed. And while we're talking about pureeing, let me put in my plug for using a real blender instead of an immersion blender. While the immersion blender is nice because you don't have to transfer soup and make multiple pots and bowls dirty, I just don't think it gives nearly as smooth & rich a texture as the blender can. But hey, that's just me.

For the other 100 great ideas, click here.

While Bittman's soup is great, I wouldn't serve it on Thanksgiving, because the flavors don't totally mesh with many traditional dishes. However, my own Sweet Potato & Apple Soup would be perfect for Thanksgiving, or whenever. It is as follows:

Sweet Potato & Apple Soup (by Macy)

Makes about 8 cups of soup 

* 3 medium-large sweet potatoes (about 3 pounds)

* 2 Tablespoons olive oil

* 1 medium-large white onion

* 3 medium-large Granny Smith apples (about 1 ¼ pounds)

* ½ teaspoon cinnamon, or to taste

* 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, or to taste

* 1 32 oz. carton of chicken stock (or vegetable stock, for vegetarians)

* ¾ cup half and half (optional)

* ½ teaspoon Kosher salt and ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste

Preheat oven to 400°F. Scrub the sweet potatoes and poke each one several times with a fork. Bake potatoes in the middle of the oven on a foil-lined cookie sheet for one hour or until they are very soft and can easily be pierced with a knife. When the potatoes are cooked, remove from the oven and slice each one in half lengthwise and cool for a few minutes.

While the potatoes are baking, chop the onion to a medium dice. Heat the olive oil in a 3-quart sauce pan on medium heat. Add the diced onion, and sauté, stirring frequently until the onion is very soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, peel and core the apples and chop to a large dice. When the onions are translucent, add the apples, cinnamon and nutmeg and stir a few times until the apples start to brown, just a few minutes.

Add the carton of chicken broth to the saucepan. Cover the saucepan and bring the broth to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 8 minutes or until the apples are very soft. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Place approximately 1/3 of the broth mixture and one of the potatoes (remove skins first) into a blender. The potato skins should be quite loose and you can squeeze the potato flesh right out. Puree ingredients to a smooth consistency. Transfer the pureed soup to a mixing bowl and repeat until all the ingredients are pureed. If the ingredients are still quite hot when you are doing this step, remove the center piece of the blender lid and cover with a dish cloth while you're pureeing to avoid too much pressure build up/explosions.

Transfer the soup back to the saucepan and reheat if necessary. Season with salt and, pepper. If desired, stir in half & half, heating the soup gently until it is warm.

While Thanksgiving is always the time that I think most about sweet potatoes, these soups will warm you all winter long. Enjoy!