Baked Sweet Potatoes with Maple Crème Fraîche
Using a combination of creamy kefir and crème fraîche, caramelized butter, umami-rich fish sauce, crunchy peanuts, and fresh scallions, this typically one-note dish is transformed into a dinner table standout.
- Makes4 servings
"We all adore certain pantry staples. Kefir and crème fraîche are two of my favorites. I’ve been testing new ways to improve on roasting sweet potatoes in the oven, and I found that a combination of steaming and roasting works great for a dish like this for both the texture and the extra set of aroma molecules that comes through. The first step, partial steaming, keeps the moisture inside the sweet potato while cooking, and the second step, uncovered roasting, helps create a robust flavor profile. I recommend using fragrant nuts. Toasted hazelnuts are a good substitute for the peanuts."
THE FLAVOR APPROACH
"Butter works as the fat of choice here due to its higher smoke point. As the butter melts, it separates into its constituents—fat, water, sugars, and milk solids—which undergo caramelization and the Maillard reaction.
The sugars concentrate as the water evaporates during cooking. Fish sauce adds a spot of umami to the sauce, you can use vegan fish sauce as an alternative. The peanuts and scallions provide crunch against the softer textures of the potato and the dressing." — Nik Sharma
Reprinted from The Flavor Equation by Nik Sharma with permission by Chronicle Books, 2020
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