This decadent and divine sweet potato mash is one of my favorite side dishes. It is made with gorgeous deep orange Garnet sweet potatoes and a generous snort of Maker’s Mark. The Garnet variety is sweeter and brighter in both color and flavor, and has a more delicate texture that makes a creamier (and superior) mash. I make this every Thanksgiving. But it’s too good to only serve once a year! I serve this dish year ‘round with barbecued brisket, grilled chicken, pork, beef, game hen—even fish and shellfish.  It’s so versatile you can serve it with almost everything and it adds a vibrant color to the plate.  I’ve dressed up this version with a slightly spicy praline topping that adds a salty-sweet crunch for perfect balance.

Serves 8-10

8 large Garnet sweet potatoes, roasted in the oven

1 pint heavy cream

½-3/4 cup Maker’s Mark or other round high-vanilla Bourbon

½ cup dark brown sugar

½ cup molasses

1 teaspoon sea salt, or more to taste

3 dashes of Tabasco

Freshly grated nutmeg

1 cup Elizabeth’s Sugar and Spice Pecans (see recipe below) This becomes the Praline topping

Make sure to prick the potatoes with a fork before roasting.  When done and cool to the touch, peel potatoes and cut them in quarters.  Put in a large stockpot or Dutch oven.  Add cream, Bourbon, sugar, molasses and salt to potatoes.  Simultaneously, mash potatoes with a large fork or potato masher and mix all the ingredients together.  If the potatoes need more liquid, add a little water.  Stir until smooth.  

 Simmer covered, over medium low heat for 30-40 minutes or until potatoes are so soft that they resemble a puree.  This second cooking makes the potatoes foolproof since any hard (under-cooked) pieces of sweet potato have a chance to cook before serving.  When potatoes have cooked down, add the Tabasco and nutmeg and taste.  Adjust salt as necessary. Serve immediately garnished with Praline Topping and refrigerate any leftovers.  Alternatively, make mash a day in advance and re-heat before serving.  Place the praline topping on the mash just before serving.

Serving Note: Just before serving, place in a skillet, casserole or soufflé dish and top with the Praline Pecans.  I like to place whole pecans on the top and chop about 1/8 cup of the pecans into a fine dust and sprinkle all over as well.

Elizabeth’s Sugar and Spice Pecans

1/3 cup dark brown sugar

2/3 cup granulated white sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Pinch of cayenne pepper, or more to taste

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon groun cumin

1 egg white, room temperature

1 tablespoon water

1 pound pecan halves

Special Equipment: Silpat

Preheat Oven to 300°F

Mix together sugars, salt, cayenne and cinnamon; set aside.  Beat egg white until frothy but not stiff, add water and stir until combined.  Add pecans and stir to coat evenly.  Sprinkle nuts with sugar mixture and stir until evenly coated.  

Spread sugared nuts in a single layer on a cookie sheet fitted with a SilPat or parchment paper.  
Bake for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally as needed.  Remove from oven and separate nuts as they cool.  Let cool for at least hour before storing in tightly closed container such as a Mason jar.

Makes 1 pound of  Elizabeth’s Sugar and Spice Pecans a.k.a. “praline pecans.”

ALL RECIPES ©ELIZABETH KARMEL 2020