Sweet Potato Gratin With Bourbon Pecans Food

GRATIN OF SWEET POTATOES AND BOURBON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Roast the potatoes on a baking sheet in the oven until they are easily pierced with a knife, about 45 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let cool. (The potatoes can be roasted up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated.) Leave the oven on.
• Butter a gratin dish or baking dish.
• Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange the slices in a single layer, overlapping them. Season to taste with salt.
• In a small saucepan over medium heat, reduce the cream by one-third. Add the bourbon and whisk well.
• Pour the cream over the potatoes. Dust the potatoes very lightly with nutmeg and dot with the butter. Bake until browned and puffy, about 30 minutes. Serve hot.

BOURBON PECAN SMASHED SWEET POTATOES

Steps:

• Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add sweet potatoes and cook 12 to 15 minutes until very tender. Drain sweet potatoes in a colander. Return pan to medium heat. Add butter to the pan. When butter melts, add nuts and toast for 2 minutes. Add sugar and let it bubble. Add bourbon and cook out alcohol, 1 minute. Add orange juice and the cooked sweet potatoes. Smash with a masher and season the sweet potatoes with nutmeg, salt and pepper.

BOURBON SWEET-POTATO PURéE WITH BUTTERED PECANS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Prick sweet potatoes with a fork and in a baking pan bake in middle of oven until tender, about 1 hour.
• When just cool enough to handle, peel potatoes and transfer half to a food processor. Add bourbon and 6 tablespoons butter and purée 30 seconds. Transfer purée to a large bowl. Purée remaining potatoes in food processor until completely smooth and transfer to bowl. Stir purée until combined well and season with salt and pepper. Transfer purée to a 2-quart gratin dish or other shallow baking dish. Purée may be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered. Bring purée to room temperature before proceeding.
• Reduce temperature to 325° F.
• In a shallow baking pan spread pecans in one layer and bake in middle of oven until fragrant, about 10 minutes. Toss hot pecans with remaining 2 tablespoons butter and coarse salt. Pecans may be made 2 days ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.
• Arrange pecans on top of purée and sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake purée in upper third of oven until heated through and pecans are slightly browned, about 30 minutes.

SWEET POTATO GRATIN WITH PECAN-CRUMB TOPPING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 deg F with rack in center position.
• Prick potatoes several times with fork and wrap each in foil. Roast until very tender, about 45 minutes.
• Unwrap foil and halve potatoes; scoop out the flesh into a bowl.
• Mash the potatoes with the butter, zest, juices, garlic, allspice and salt to taste. (You can prepare it this far up to two days ahead of time - just store well-covered in the fridge).
• Toss together the bread crumbs, pecans, green onions and Parmesan in a bowl.
• Reduce the heat to 375 deg F and grease a 1 quart pie plate or other shallow ceramic baking dish. Spoon the potatoes into the dish and cover with the crumb mix.
• Bake until the crumbs are golden and the potato mixture is hot, about 30 minutes.

SWEET POTATO GRATIN WITH CHILE-SPICED PECANS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375.
• Roast the sweet potatoes on a large baking sheet until tender, about 1 hr 10 minute.
• Meanwhile, in a skillet, melt the butter. Add the pecans, sugar and chipotle powder and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the sugar starts to caramelize and the pecans are well coated (approx. 8 min).
• Spread pecans on a parchment-lined baking sheet, sprinkle with salt, and let cool.
• Cut potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop the flesh into a food processor; discard skins. Add the honey, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves to the processor and puree. Add the cream and puree. Season with salt and pepper.
• Scrape the potatoes into a 9x13 baking dish; scatter marsh mellows on top.
• Bake in the top third of the oven for 25 minutes, until the marsh mellows are golden. Sprinkle with pecans and serve.