Ancho Sweet Potato Purée Recipes

SWEET POTATO PUREE

Steps:

• Place a steamer insert or a mesh colander in a large pot and add enough water to reach the bottom of the steamer. Place the sweet potatoes in the steamer and bring the water to a boil. Cover the pot, lower the heat, and cook over simmering water for about 25 minutes, until very tender. Check occasionally to be sure the water doesn't boil away.
• Transfer the sweet potatoes to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low, slowly add the half-and-half, orange zest, orange juice, cayenne pepper, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper. With the mixer still on low, add the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until incorporated. Taste for seasonings and mix until smooth. Serve hot.

SILKY SWEET POTATO PUREE

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position; heat to 425 degrees. Place potatoes on a foil-lined pan; bake 45 to 60 minutes, until tender. Peel when cool enough to handle.
• Puree with salt and pepper in a food processor. With motor running, gradually add milks through feeder tube, then butter. Process until silken. (Can make up to 2 days ahead; store in an airtight container.) Reheat and serve.

ANCHO CHILI SWEET POTATO PUREE

Steps:

• Peel and cut the sweet potatoes up into large chunks. Remove the stems from the peppers and cut them into large pieces. For more heat, keep the seeds from the peppers, for less heat discard the seeds.
• Place the sweet potatoes and peppers in a pot of cold water, turn the heat on high, and cook the potatoes until they are fork tender. This usually takes around 25 minutes.
• Once the potatoes have finished cooking, drain the liquid and add the milk, honey, butter, salt, and pepper.
• Using a stick blender puree everything until the potatoes are smooth.

ANCHO SWEET-POTATO PURéE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F. and line a baking sheet with foil.
• Prick sweet potatoes in several places with a fork and bake on baking sheet in middle of oven until tender, about 1 hour. Cool potatoes until they can be handled.
• Wearing rubber gloves, stem and seed chiles and tear into 1-inch pieces. In a small saucepan bring chiles and cream to a boil. In a blender purée mixture until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids).
• Scoop flesh from potatoes into a food processor, discarding skins, and purée with cream mixture, salt, and 2 tablespoons butter. Purée may be made up to this point 1 day ahead and cooled before being chilled, covered.
• Transfer purée to a large saucepan and heat over moderate heat, stirring, until hot, stirring in more salt and butter if desired.

BASIC ANCHO CHILE PUREE

Steps:

• Soak the dried chiles in hot water for about 1 hour.
• Drain (but reserve a little of the soaking water), then pull the stem ends off and discard. The seeds can be discarded or blended with the chiles, depending on how spicy you want the purée to be. (I found it helpful to go ahead and chop/cut the chiles into smaller pieces prior to grinding/blending.).
• Blend the chiles in a food processor until smooth, adding a small amount of their soaking water if necessary (no more than 1/4 cup).
• Press the purée through a medium mesh strainer with a rubber spatula, leaving the leftover large pieces in the strainer. Discard large pieces.
• This will give you more chile puree than is needed for most recipes. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for several weeks or the freezer for up to 3 months. Freeze the puree in ice cube trays for easy measuring and future use.

SWEET POTATO PUREE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, cover potatoes with water. Bring to a boil; cook until tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain; puree in food processor.
• Add flavorings, if desired; puree. Maple-Butter: Add 2 tablespoons each melted butter and maple syrup. Serve puree with more butter and syrup. Orange-Ginger: Add 1/4 cup each milk and orange juice, 2 tablespoons melted butter, and 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger. Lime-Cayenne: Add 1 tablespoon lime juice and a pinch of cayenne. Thin with a bit of cooking liquid, if needed.
• Season with salt and pepper; serve.