Sweet potatoes are not yams. We know that even though the two often spill over into one another at the grocery store. You can barely tell the difference. Some cooks use them interchangeably, although a sweet potato, with its dark orange flesh, is a tuber of a different color.
Russet potatoes (aka Idaho or baking potatoes) also sit nearby, but they are never confused with sweet potatoes.
At the market, look for a firm exterior free of bruises or cuts. At home, store in a cool, dark place. (A chef recently told me that he stores all potatoes with apples in a refrigerator bin: he claims the potatoes keep longer. I haven’t tried this.) They are best when used within two weeks.
Baking is, by far, the best cooking method. Just pierce all over with a sharp knife, toss them into the oven and forget them for an hour. No peeling, cubing, slicing. I cook them on a baking sheet. (Baked on oven racks, the syrupy juices will drip into the oven, then burn and stick, leaving the cook with a mess to clean up.) At the end of an hour, they will be tender when pierced with a fork.
A few deviations from the course:
Scoop the flesh and mash sweet potatoes with russets for a twist on the original.
Add to (baked) butternut squash and ginger, to puree with vegetable stock, herbs and a splash of milk into a creamy soup.
Split baked spuds across the top, then stuff with cooked broccoli, chopped bacon and mild cheddar, then set under the broiler until the cheese melts.
I’ve included a method of slitting the potatoes to hold more delicious ingredients from the cook’s imagination. I’ve always found it a great way to get greens into children.
BAKED SWEET POTATOES
Adapted from “American Cooking” by James Beard.
Makes 4 servings.
For decades, cooks have turned to Beard for definitive basil American recipes.
To keep potatoes from rolling around on the pan, shave a thin slice from one side with a
vegetable peeler. This makes a stable base.
4 sweet potatoes
butter
Preheat the oven to 425 F. Line a sheet-pan with foil and place the potatoes in it.
Pierce potatoes several times with a knife. Bake for one hour, moving the potatoes on the pan once or twice so they do not stick.
Bake for about 60 minutes, depending on size, until the potatoes are tender when pierced.
HASSELBACK-STYLE SWEET POTATOES
This recipe, originally meant for russets, was the menu star at a long-ago European ski lodge. Here they take on a modern translation.
4 medium russet potatoes.
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 teaspoon melted butter
coarse salt and black pepper, to taste.
For between the slices: fresh baby spinach, soft cheeses like brie, roasted red peppers, etc.
Preheat the oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Slice a thin portion from one side of each potato with a vegetable peeler or knife.
Place potato on a sheet pan, flat side down. Bake, 30 minutes; remove from the oven.
Place a chop stick lengthwise along either side of a potato. Then slice crosswise: the chopsticks should stop the knife from cutting through the bottom of the potato, The sections fan out slightly.
Brush potatoes with melted butter. Gently fit fillings between the slices. Continue cooking for 20 to 30 minutes until the cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper.
