SWEET POTATO PUREE WITH TAMARI, MAPLE SYRUP, AND CHILE

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Braised oxtail and sweet potato puree are perfect fits for cold, dark days.
By Roseanne Pereira

“With its long hours of darkness and a sky that seems to sit so low that it rests on my shoulder, the English winter can seem very bleak to me. It can also feel a little desolate in terms of fruit and vegetables. Once the abundance of fall has dwindled, we are left with apples, pears, chards, and root vegetables, but little else…” So writes Australian chef Skye Gyngell in her cookbook A Year in My Kitchen.

Does this resonate? I too feel like winter produce can seem like being barred from using all the colors in the box. Everything goes orange.

Gyngell goes on to write, though, that: “Winter’s true saving grace is the desire it arouses to cook long, slow comforting dishes. For less money at this time of year, we can produce dishes of real substance with complex, intense flavors that are deeply satisfying.” And her cookbook is full of recipes that do just that—from braised lentils to lamb with prunes, spicy meatballs with cilantro and dried sour cherries to a simple winter salad of prosciutto, chestnuts, and sage. Gyngell, who passed away in November, was widely known in the UK for her restaurants there, including Petersham Nurseries, which earned a Michelin star while still retaining a rustic feel.

I never met Skye Gyngell and never went to any of her restaurants, but she’s the kind of person whose food writing makes me think I’d have liked her if I did. Her quality of attention and even gratitude for the produce she cooked with remains an inspiration. She advised when buying produce to ask yourself, “Does its very appearance make me hungry?” and offered practical insights like, “As a rule of thumb, all vegetables that grow below the ground go into cold water and all vegetables that grow above ground go into boiling water.”

At one point in her book, she explains the concept of agrodolce as achieving harmony from contrasting tastes, and adds, “You will come across agrodolce in most of my recipes, using the balance of tamari and maple syrup, or fish sauce and jaggery, or pickled fruits and salty pungent cheeses like feta, or young lemony goat cheese with tomato and chile jam or pickled figs...”

In choosing recipes to share, I decided to start with the sweet potato. Gyngell writes that because Australians eat a lot of sweet potatoes (and pumpkin and squash), those vegetables remind her of home. I think this means she’s thought more deeply about sweet potatoes than most of us!

Two recipes adapted from A Year in My Kitchen by Skye Gyngell.

SWEET POTATO PUREE WITH TAMARI, MAPLE SYRUP, AND CHILE

This is delicious on its own or paired with any number of winter braised meat dishes (See one example below). Gyngell writes that the final result should have a “deep, sweet, hot, velvety taste.”

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled
1-2 small fresh red chiles, halved (seeds removed - I used Thai in order to boost the heat level)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Small bunch of cilantro
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce
2 Tbsp maple syrup

Cut the sweet potatoes into rough chunks, then place in a pot and add the halved chiles. Pour enough cold water to cover the sweet potato chunks, add a good pinch of salt, and bring to a boil over medium heat.

Meanwhile: wash your cilantro, and measure olive oil, soy sauce, and maple syrup into a single bowl for ease later.

Once the water is boiling, lower the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the sweet potato is fork-tender and falling apart. Drain.

Put softened sweet potato chunks and chiles into a blender. Add the cilantro leaves and stems, butter, olive oil, tamari, and maple syrup and purée to desired consistency. (Skye recommends “very smooth.”) If necessary, return to the pan and reheat gently, stirring, to serve.

COOK’S NOTE: Most of the words corresponding to the buttons have worn off the 1970s blender I used, so likely I blended instead of puréed. I also overfilled. You can be more exacting than me! I would have “pureed” more but at this point, I started eating by the spoonful. It’s a forgiving recipe for a home cook and so luscious and tasty.