Before you read the recipe below, here’s fair warning: You’ll become obsessed with this lusciously smooth, savory, yet sweet sweet potato and maple purée. Hands down one of my favorite side dishes during the fall, its simple preparation is even easier than making a batch of mashed potatoes if you own an immersion blender. If you don’t, I urge you to treat yourself and head to Le Roux in Vineyard Haven and pick one up — they aren’t very expensive, and even so, you’ll get your money’s worth after all the use you can get from it. It’s great for making creamy dressings, puréeing soups, and like in this recipe, making smooth, resturant-quality root vegetable purées.
Sweet potatoes play a big role at the upcoming holiday tables, but they are always too sweet, topped with way too much marshmallow and brown sugar. I had the chance to chat with Katie Webster, author of “Maple: 100 Sweet and Savory Recipes featuring Pure Maple Syrup,” and we got to talking about the use of refined sugars in the American diet. I asked what makes maple syrup a good substitute for refined sugar. Here’s what she had to say:
“There are many reasons, the first being that cup for cup, it is healthier. Because maple syrup is minimally processed (it is basically just concentrated sap from a maple tree), it still holds all of its naturally occurring trace micronutrients and minerals. It has more than 50 antioxidants in it, and recent studies show that it has anti-inflammatory properties. Because it tastes sweeter than refined white sugar, you can use less of it to sweeten recipes, and it is lower on the glycemic index than corn syrup or table sugar, which means it will not cause the same blood sugar spike as these other sweeteners cause.
“The second reason is that maple is not a cultivated crop, so it is more earth-friendly. Proper management of the maple forest is in the best interest of the sugar makers, and making syrup doesn’t hurt the trees at all. Sugaring uses just a small percentage of what the maple tree has to offer, and the landscape can remain wooded. Another reason is that buying maple means you’re supporting small family-run businesses. Even the biggest operations are family-run, and/or they aggregate syrup from other small family businesses. This helps to keep the economy in rural communities stronger. The most important reason of all is that maple isn’t just sweet, it tastes great. So when you cook with it, you are adding delicious maple flavor!”
Sweet Potato Maple Purée
Serves 4
3 large sweet potatoes, peeled
½ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 tablespoons maple syrup
salt and pepper, to taste
Cut the sweet potatoes into large chunks and cook in heavily salted boiling water until fork-tender. Drain the water and keep the potatoes in the pot.
Add the cream and butter, using the immersion blender to purée into a smooth texture. Season with salt and pepper. To serve, drizzle with maple syrup. Serve hot.
Note: If you don’t own an immersion blender, you can still make this purée in a blender or using a ricer. Both result in smooth purées as well!
