Spiced Sweet Potato Purée with a Gingerbread Topping
Recipe Photo:
Recipe Serves:
4-6
- 2 lbs Sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½” cubes
- Salt, freshly ground black pepper
- Whole bands of zest, white pith removed, and juice of 1 orange
- 2 1½” cinnamon sticks
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1 Small onion, peeled and studded with 2 cloves
- 2 tbs Unsalted butter
- 1 Golden Delicious apple, peeled, cored and cut in ¼” dice
- 1 Small banana, peeled and sliced ½” thick
- 2 tbs Sugar
- ¾ c Heavy cream
- ¼ c Gingerbread, dried and ground finely like breadcrumbs
Recipe Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Place the sweet potatoes in a large pot. Add enough water to cover by 1 inch, a pinch of salt, ½ of the orange zest, 1 cinnamon stick, the bay leaf and clove studded onion. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for about 20 to 25 minutes or until fork tender.
- While the sweet potatoes are cooking, prepare the fruit. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Add the apple, banana, remaining orange peel and remaining stick of cinnamon and sauté until lightly caramelized, stirring often, about 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer the fruits to a plate with a slotted spoon. Add 1 tablespoon of the sugar of the pan, cook to a light brown caramel, carefully add the orange juice, and reduce to 1 tablespoon. Add ¾ of the heavy cream and boil for 3 to 4 minutes. Return the cooked fruit to the pot, mix well, and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and discard the orange peel and cinnamon stick. Keep warm.
- When the sweet potatoes are done, drain them well and discard the orange peel, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, and onion. Transfer the warm sweet potatoes to a food processor. Add the fruit, salt and pepper, and purée. Mix in the remaining cream if the purée is too thick, and taste for seasoning. Transfer the purée to a gratin serving dish and sprinkle with the gingerbread crumbs. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the top is light golden brown. Serve immediately.
