Master Recipe

Baked Sweet Potatoes

serves 4

NOTE: The skin on baked sweet potatoes can be tough and unappealing, We found that lightly coating the skin with oil softens it slightly and promotes caramelization. This recipe is designed for the orange-flesh varieties of sweet potato that generally show up in supermarkets. If you have white-fleshed sweet potatoes, increase the baking time by about 10 minutes and use plenty of butter to moisten their drier flesh.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Adjust oven rack to center position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Rub potatoes with oil, then arrange on foil-lined baking sheet as far apart as possible.

2. Bake until knife tip slips easily into potato center, 40 to 50 minutes. Remove sweet potatoes from oven and pierce with a fork to create a dotted X (see figure 1). Press in at ends of sweet potato to push flesh up and out (see figure 2). Season with salt and pepper to taste. Dot with butter to taste and serve.

VARIATION:

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Bake sweet potatoes as directed. As soon as they come out of the oven, remove peels and put sweet potatoes through a ricer or food mill, pressing the tiny bits into a medium bowl. (You can use a potato masher to mash the peeled potatoes in a bowl, but the texture will be coarse and not nearly as silky.) Stir in 5 tablespoons softened butter and salt and pepper to taste. Beat with a spoon until silky and smooth.