/ by Jonathan Ammons
/ photography by Eli Warren
Behold, the sweet potato, an ancient staple of the Americas. The unique tuber was first introduced to Europe via Spain through the pillaging of the conquistadors as they clawed through Central and South America. But they also grew indigenously in Polynesia, with some sweet potato dishes in the Philippines dating back to the 1200’s, leading many researchers to see them as evidence of ancient trans-pacific contact.
These days most people think of sweet potatoes as the tan-on-the-outside, orange-on-the-inside root veggies next to the russets, but dip down to your local farmers market or neighborhood co-op, and you might be surprised with the diversity of sweet potatoes available. Covington and Beauregards are quite popular in the Carolinas and are great all-around potatoes for roasting, frying and boiling. Japanese sweet potatoes have purple skin and a white flesh that plays well on the grill. Californian Garnets and the tan skinned Jewel are built for boiling; Stokes Purple are great for roasting but take significantly longer to cook.
It’s important to distinguish between yams and sweet potatoes. What most folks refer to as yams are likely just sweet potatoes. Actual yams come from West Africa and bear more resemblance to a boiling potato. The reason for the mislabeling in the US dates to the 1800s when enslaved Africans — often tasked with plantation cooking — called sweet potatoes “yams,” a common term meaning root vegetable. Packaged food companies during the industrial revolution picked up on it and used it to help products stand out on supermarket shelves.
While the most common and easy method of preparing sweet potatoes is to simply bake them, the sweet potato fry has been a restaurant trend that doesn’t seem to fade away, riding on the guise of being a healthier junk food option. Sweet potato fries can be tricky to make at home as most home cooks find them difficult to get crispy. This is because a battle rages inside the sweet potato between its starches and sugars, waged through the amylase enzyme. In fact, up to 75% of their starch can convert to sugar during the cooking process, leaving a soggy, floppy mess of a French fry. Hence, why I strongly suggest coating them in a cornstarch slurry before baking or frying.
Stored in a cool, dry place, sweet potatoes can keep for up to six months! Just be careful not to stow them in close proximity to other vegetables or fruits. High in vitamin A and C, rich in potassium, fiber and manganese, the sweet potato is a versatile and durable staple for the fall pantry.
Sweet Potato & Chickpea Tagine Recipe
1 15 oz can chickpeas
3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into ½” cubes
1 tomato, grated
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
` ½ cup of pitted olives
1 preserved lemon, coarsely chopped
1 Tsp coriander seed
1 Tsp cumin seed
1 cinnamon stick
Salt and pepper, to taste
Fresh chopped parsley and cilantro
Method:
In a Dutch oven tagine, begin by sauteing the onions over medium high heat, until the onions turn translucent and begin to brown. Add garlic and spices and stir to toast. Add sweet potato, chickpeas, olives, grated tomato, preserved lemon and stir to incorporate, cooking for five minutes.
Pour in enough stock to barely cover the vegetables and bring to a simmer, covering with a lid slightly ajar. Cook for 20 minutes or until the sweet potato pierces easily with a fork. When the potato is cooked, the tagine is ready. Stir in chopped parsley and cilantro, reserving some for garnish. Serve with couscous.
Note: if you cannot find or have never made preserved lemon, you can use the juice of one lemon and the zest of that lemon. To make preserved lemon, slice lemons and place them in a jar with a bay leaf. Cover with salt and seal, allowing them to leach their juices. Open in two weeks, rinse, and return to their jar. They should be ready to serve.
Sweet Potato Souffle Recipe
2 tsp room temperature butter to grease ramekins
4 large room temperature eggs, separated
1 cup mashed sweet potatoes
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup maple syrup
Method:
Butter 4 or 5 5oz ramekins and place them on a baking sheet.
Begin by pricking the sweet potatoes with a fork and roasting until fork tender, either in a 425degree oven for 40-50 minutes or in the microwave for 10 minutes turning halfway through. Scoop out the flesh of the cooked potatoes and set aside.
Separate four large eggs into a mixing bowl for the yolks and a mixing bowl for the whites.
Add one cup of sweet potatoes to the bowl of egg yolks, a splash of the milk, salt and the maple syrup and whisk until thoroughly mixed and smooth.
Add a pinch of salt to the egg whites and whisk quickly in circular strokes until they achieve airy peaks. Add half of the whipped egg whites to the yolk and potato mix and fold into the mixture.
Carefully fold in the rest of the whipped egg whites, being careful not to handle them too roughly, so as not to lose their airiness. Gently spoon the batter into the ramekins, filling them to the top.
Place the baking sheet and filled ramekins into a 425degree oven for 15 minutes, or until golden brown and fully inflated. Serve quickly before they have a chance to deflate.
