A 2-Part Cook Unlocks Layers of Earthy Sweetness in This Humble Tuber

Sweet potatoes cook up smooth and creamy. Beth Fuller/TCA

Sweet potatoes present certain advantages over regular potatoes when it comes to mashing: They contain more moisture, less starch, and smaller starch granules, so they cook up smooth and creamy. The only problem is that their looser structure absorbs more moisture during a boil, waterlogging the potatoes and diluting their flavor. We cooked the potatoes twice to counteract that dilution.

After boiling, we placed the potato pieces in a pot and stirred them over medium heat for about 7 minutes. This drove off 12 percent of the potatoes’ weight and made them taste intensely earthy-sweet. Because the flavor was so complex, we needed only to add salt and a few tablespoons of butter to complete the dish.

Best Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Serves 4 to 6

• 2 pounds sweet potatoes, halved lengthwise, and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt

Bring 6 cups water to boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add sweet potatoes. Return water to boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until a paring knife meets no resistance when slipped into center of potatoes, about 12 minutes.

Drain potatoes and return them to saucepan. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, for 7 minutes, adjusting heat as necessary to prevent any starches on bottom of saucepan from getting too brown. (Steady stream of steam should continuously escape from saucepan. Potatoes will become a coarse mash.)

Off heat, add butter and salt. Whisk until butter is fully incorporated and potatoes are creamy and mostly smooth, with rice grain-sized bits of potato interspersed throughout, about 1 minute, being sure to scrape edges of saucepan. Season with salt and extra butter to taste, and serve.

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