Sweet Potatoes with Cider & Brown Sugar
Submitted by KAM
Sweet potatoes simmered in apple cider with brown sugar, butter and a cinnamon stick, then pureed and baked. A make-ahead Thanksgiving side without the marshmallows.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
1 hrsForget the marshmallow-topped casserole. This is sweet potatoes done with grown-up restraint. The peeled potatoes get simmered directly in apple cider with brown sugar, butter, and a whole cinnamon stick until they’re fork-tender and have absorbed every last drop of the spiced, amber braising liquid.
That cider-poaching is the whole trick. Most sweet potato mashes boil in plain water and then get seasoned after. Here, the potatoes pick up flavor while they cook. By the time you pass them through a food mill, the puree is naturally sweet with fruit notes, warm with cinnamon, and rich from the generous amount of butter.
A huge bonus for holiday cooks: this can be made up to 4 days ahead, refrigerated, and warmed in the oven the day you serve it. The quick foil-covered reheat keeps the texture silky and lets you hand over the oven to the turkey.
Chef Tips
- Use real apple cider, not apple juice. Cider has unfiltered depth and tartness; juice is too sweet and thin.
- A food mill produces the silkiest texture. A food processor works but can make the puree gummy if overworked.
- Choose dark brown sugar over light. The extra molasses complements the cider’s richness.
- Don’t salt during the simmer. Add any salt only at the end, after tasting, because the cider concentrates as it reduces.
Variations
- Add a splash of bourbon or apple brandy off the heat for a boozy edge.
- Grate in fresh nutmeg or a pinch of ginger along with the cinnamon stick.
- Top with toasted pecans and a drizzle of maple syrup before serving instead of extra butter.
Ingredients
Directions
In a large nonreactive saucepan, combine the potatoes, cider, brown sugar, 6 tablespoons of the butter and the cinnamon stick.
Bring to a boil over moderate heat.
Reduce the heat to a simmer, partially cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are very tender, about 45 minutes.
Let cool slightly, remove the cinnamon stick, and pass the potatoes through the medium disk of a food mill or purée in batches in a food processor.
Transfer to an overproof serving dish. The potatoes can be prepared to this point up to 4 days ahead.
Cover tightly and refrigerate.
Return to room temperature before proceeding.
Preheat the oven to 325℉ (160℃).
Dot the potatoes with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, cover with foil and bake, stirring once or twice, for about 20 minutes, until steaming.
Remove the foil and bake for 5 minutes longer.
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