Tags

sweet potatoes

Many years ago I decided to try a recipe for Thanksgiving that I found in Craig Claiborne’s New York Times Cookbook, a book that is falling apart from much use over the years.

Sweet potatoes were always at our Thanksgiving table as I was growing up but I didn’t want to do the standard fare and certainly was not going to add marshmallows to a vegetable that already has a beautifully sweet taste. So I ventured forth with Mr. Claiborne and my own version is our new family recipe that my daughter and I must have every Thanksgiving along with homemade cranberry sauce and oyster stuffing.

Ingredients

6-8 sweet potatoes

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup brandy or cognac

 

Directions

Wash the sweet potatoes but do not peel them.

Gently boil the potatoes in a large pot of water under just tender. If the fork goes through the potato and feels firm but not hard, immediately take the potato out. The potatoes usually don’t cook at the same rate in a pot so test the potatoes every few minutes. It’s important that they be firm and not overcooked because they will be easier to peel and slice. It will also give the potatoes a chance to finish cooking in the oven.

Let the potatoes cool. I generally place them on a plate and cool them in the refrigerator so that they don’t continue to cook in their skins while cooling on the counter.

While the potatoes are cooling, turn the oven on to 350 degrees and butter a baking dish.

When they are cool to touch, peel them, they will be very easy to peel with a knife and slice them either lengthwise or crosscut and layer them in a baking dish.

To make the sauce, bring to a gentle boil on low heat the water, sugar and butter. After the ingredients have been thoroughly mixed, add the brandy. (The alcohol will burn off in the oven.)

Pour the sauce over the potatoes and bake for about 30 minutes or when you see the sauce begin to bubble. Baste the potatoes during the baking process with the syrup in the casserole a few times.

Take out of the oven and serve!

Enjoy!

Post Script:

The first time I made the brandied sweet potatoes I had my mother over for Thanksgiving. She was a teetotaler but LOVED the sweet potatoes. She asked me what I put in them to taste so good and as I recall, I don’t think I told her about the brandy 😉