Sweet Potato Gratin

Sweet Potato Gratin

An idea has been bouncing around in my head for a few weeks and finally I've got it out and prepared. The idea originated with the sweet potato.  I like sweet potatoes and I was giving some thought to something new for the coming Thanksgiving holiday.  I am not a big fan of the yam and even less of a fan of the yam turned candy with marshmallows.  

I wanted something that would be a little more savory but still accent the sweetness of the sweet potato.  I also liked the idea of something I could prep ahead.  Did you know that sweet potatoes and yams are not even remotely related to each other and neither of them is related to the potato. Sweet potatoes are from the same family as morning glories. I like that.

Here's a little sweet potato gratin that I cooked up.  Gratin is just a fancy word for a dish that has a browned crust on top. You can switch the sweet potatoes for yams if that is your preference, but do me a favor try it with sweet potatoes first.

Sweet Potato & Caramelized Onion Gratin
Ingredients:
3-5 medium sweet potatoes (2-3 lbs)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
 
2 tablespoons olive oil
3-4 cups chopped onions
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
pinch to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 cup butter

Peel and thinly slice the sweet potatoes

2 1/2 tablespoons flour

2 cups of half and half, light cream, or whole milk
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dry ground mustard
1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and butter or spray an oblong baking dish, 9x13 or similar.

Peel and slice the sweet potatoes very thinly and set aside.  1/8th inch thick is a good thickness. 

Caramelize the onions and add the brown sugar and cayenne

Chop the onion and add them to a skillet with the olive oil.  Begin to sweat the onions slowly.  Once they have lost most of their water, they will begin to caramelize into a nice golden color.  After the onions have caramelized to a light brown, add the dark brown sugar and the cayenne pepper.  Remove from the heat and set aside.

Create the sauce

 
In another skillet, create a roux with the 1/4 cup butter and the flour.  Add the 2 cups of cream/milk all at once stirring until it is smooth and bubbly.  Turn off the heat and stir in the salt, mustard, paprika, nutmeg, and a few grinds of black pepper.

In your buttered dish, layer half of the sliced potatoes, half the sauce, 1/2 cup of the grated Parmesan and half the onions with their sweet sauce.  Create a second layer with the remaining ingredients, ending with the onions once again.

Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil.  You can refrigerate it at this point until the next day or until you are ready to bake it.  Bake in a 350 degree oven, covered with the foil for 45 minutes.  At 45 minutes, remove the foil and continue baking for another 15-20 minutes until it is browned and bubbly.



This little dish pairs nicely with turkey, but also with a pork roast or chicken. 

Enjoy!
 

I'll Never Boil Another Egg

Recently a friend of mine told me about a different way to make hard cooked eggs.  I was skeptical to say the least. She said, "you have to try this!"  

I'd given up years ago on ever having hard boiled eggs that were easy to peel, not to mention having to cook 24 eggs to get 12 decent ones to make a batch of old fashioned deviled eggs.  I'd tried all the various tips like aging the eggs, baking, vinegar, flash cooling... etc.  None of them  were easy to peel and some of them resulted in eggs that were gross and ugly.

Well I'm here to tell you I'm a convert.  I will never boil another egg.  The way to get perfect hard cooked eggs that are easy to peel is to steam them.  I know, what's the difference?  I couldn't imagine that there could be any difference between boiling and steaming, but it's true - there is.  I've done this a few times myself with different eggs and even eggs that I grabbed right out from under the chicken.  It made no difference, they were all equally easy to peel and they were perfectly cooked. 

EASY TO PEEL HARD COOKED EGGS:

Washed eggs in steamer basket

Place fresh, sound, and washed eggs in a steamer basket.

Heat a couple of inches of water to a boil in a pot with a steaming lid or a lid that will hold in the steam.  The steaming lid just has a little hole in it that will let out a stream of steam as it is boiling.

When the water begins to boil, set the steaming basket in the pot and cover with the lid.  Set the timer for 20 minutes.

Eggs steaming with the lid on tight

Just before the timer goes off, fill a bowl with ice and water.  At 20 minutes plunge the steamed eggs into the ice water to stop the cooking and cool them down to touch.  

Eggs cooling in iced water

Once the eggs are cool enough to handle, peel them.  I timed my peeling of 12 eggs today at just over 6 minutes.... wow, is that a record or what?   Not one of them was marred in the process.









I  almost always do a dozen at a time because then I can refrigerate them and have them for a quick breakfast or lunch.  It doesn't really matter if you do 1 or 12, the directions are the same.  You will find the process so enjoyable that you just might want to pull out your grandmother's recipe for deviled eggs.  Well, if you don't have a recipe for Deviled Eggs, here is one that my grandmother used to make.

DEVILED EGGS

6 hard cooked eggs cut in half lengthwise
Separate the yolks into a bowl and reserve the whites for filling
Mash up the yolks with a fork and add:
3 tablespoons of mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1-2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons of sweet pickle relish (optional)

Combine the yolk mixture with a fork until well mixed.  Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.  Spoon into the egg white bases and garnish with a dusting of dill weed or paprika.

Refrigerate immediately and allow the flavors to mingle before serving,

Enjoy!