Among our recent menu changes is the welcome return of sweet potato, and our vanilla infused sorbet. I think I first became hip to the notion of refined sweet potato desserts from an early appearance by Joachim Splichal in Art Culinaire, almost twenty years ago now (yes, I'm getting old). The key to success is the slow roasting and development of the sweet potato's natural sugars, which need such coaxing; boiling doesn't even come close in ternms of flavor. We roast them whole, and when they've wrinkled and begun to ooze a caramel goodness onto the sheet pan, the sweet potatoes are ready. Peeled, and run through a tamis, the puree is then combined with the vanilla syrup and processed.
The new tasting menu dish finds the sweet potato simply paired with a dark chocolate cremeux (Cluizel's 'Los Ancones' estate, which I visited earlier in the year) and a bourbon caramel. I still find myself streamlining, slowly moving away from too many flourishes. I still have the urge to throw something else on this plate, but I think we've captured the essential.
Download: Sweet Potato Sorbet-Workbook 19.10.10
OK. No flourishes: I love this one.
Posted by: Jeffrey Rapoport | October 19, 2010 at 06:29 PM
Gorgeous.
Posted by: Molly | October 21, 2010 at 05:22 PM
What is the yield on sweet potatoes? To get 400g of puree, I would need like 800g or potato?
Posted by: David | October 24, 2010 at 12:40 PM
As I try to develop a greater understanding of pastry in a home kitchen, I was wondering what books you think would help me progress to the next level in understanding, particularly from a contemporary perspective. An example would be the knowledge encapsulated in this recipe concerning ingredients like stabilizers, various sweeteners, etc. Thank you so much for your writing, and thank you as always for your incredible desserts.
Posted by: Mark Hayes | November 22, 2010 at 09:01 AM