Gingered Sweet Potato Purée Recipes

SWEET POTATO PUREE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, cover potatoes with water. Bring to a boil; cook until tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain; puree in food processor.
• Add flavorings, if desired; puree. Maple-Butter: Add 2 tablespoons each melted butter and maple syrup. Serve puree with more butter and syrup. Orange-Ginger: Add 1/4 cup each milk and orange juice, 2 tablespoons melted butter, and 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger. Lime-Cayenne: Add 1 tablespoon lime juice and a pinch of cayenne. Thin with a bit of cooking liquid, if needed.
• Season with salt and pepper; serve.

ORANGE-GINGER SWEET POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375F.
• Bake potatoes on a cookie sheet until soft (approx. 1.5 hrs).
• When cool enough to handle, peel and chunk potatoes into a large bowl.
• Add butter and other ingredients and toss to mix.
• Mash potatoes thoroughly or puree in a blender. A hand mixer works well also.
• Lower oven temperature to 350F.
• Turn mashed potatoes into a casserole dish and dot the top with a bit of additional butter.
• Bake 30-40 minutes until hot.
• NOTE: This can be made ahead of time. Bring the mashed potato mixture to room temperature before dotting with butter and baking until hot.

CREAMY SWEET POTATO WITH GINGER SOUP

Steps:

• Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large, deep saute pan until shimmering.
• Add sweet potatoes, then onion; saute, stirring very little at first, then more frequently, until vegetables start to turn golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes.
• Reduce heat to low and add butter, sugar and garlic; continue cooking until all vegetables are a rich spotty caramel color, about 10 minutes longer.
• Add ginger, nutmeg and cayenne pepper; continue to saute until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute longer.
• Add broth; bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, until sweet potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
• Using an immersion blender or traditional blender, puree until very smooth, 30 seconds to 1 minute. (If using a traditional blender, vent it either by removing the lid's pop-out center or by lifting one edge of the lid. Drape the blender canister with a kitchen towel. To 'clean' the canister, pour in a little half-and-half, blend briefly, then add to the soup.)
• Return to pan (or a soup pot); add enough half-and-half so the mixture is souplike, yet thick enough to float garnish. Taste, and add salt and pepper if needed. Heat through, ladle into bowls, garnish and serve.

SWEET POTATO PUREE WITH GINGER AND CHILES

Steps:

• Place the sweet potatoes in a large saucepan and add enough water to cover by about 2 inches. Add a generous amount of salt and bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat slightly and cook until the sweet potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the butter in a large skillet until foamy. Add the ginger and chile and sauté over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat.
• Drain the sweet potatoes, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Place the sweet potatoes in a large bowl and use a potato masher to turn the sweet potatoes into fine bits. Add 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid and continue mashing until the sweet potatoes form a fairly smooth puree. Add the remaining cooking liquid as needed to work the sweet potatoes into a smooth puree.
• Set the skillet back over medium-high heat. When the ginger and chile start to sizzle, add the sweet potato puree and cook, stirring contsantly, just until the ginger, chiles, and butter have been evenly incorporated into the sweet potatoes, about 1 minute. Stir in the cilantro and salt to taste and serve immediately.

SWEET POTATO PURéE WITH GINGER AND CIDER

Steps:

• Place potatoes in large pot; add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until potatoes are very tender, about 40 minutes. Drain; cool. Peel; cut into large chunks. Transfer to processor.
• Bring cider to boil in heavy medium saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until cider is reduced to 1 cup, about 30 minutes. Transfer cider, ginger, and butter to processor with potatoes; process until very smooth. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Transfer puree to heavy medium saucepan. Cover; chill. Stir over medium heat to rewarm before serving.)

GINGERED SWEET POTATOES

Steps:

• Heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the garlic and ginger and saute, stirring occaisionally, until the garlic is brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cream and reduce by 1/3 over low heat, about 10 minutes. Keep warm. Meanwhile, combine the sweet potatoes in a large saucepan with enough water to cover them completely. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until they can be pierced easily with the tip of a knife, 20 to 30 minutes. Drain and transfer to a food processor. Add the cream and process until well blended. Add the remaining butter, season with salt and pepper, and puree until smooth. Transfer the potatoes to a bowl, correct the seasonings, and serve.

FIVE-SPICE SWEET POTATO PURéE

Steps:

• Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until tender when pierced with fork, about 50 minutes. Drain well. Cool slightly and peel.
• Cut potatoes into large chunks; place in processor. Add milk, butter, ginger juice, and five-spice powder. Process until very smooth, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Return to pot and stir over medium heat until warmed through, about 5 minutes. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand, uncovered, at room temperature. Rewarm over medium heat, stirring frequently, before serving.)
• *A blend of cinnamon, cloves, fennel seeds, star anise and pepper available in the spice section of most supermarkets.