Makes 12 servings
Ingredients
Sweet Potato Mash
- 5 lb sweet potatoes, scrubbed, pierced with fork several times (about 12 large potatoes)
- 8 oz unsalted butter
- 6 fl oz (1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons) heavy cream
- One (1/2-inch piece) peeled ginger, sliced into 1/4-in-thick pieces
- 1 vanilla bean or 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 2 eggs, whisked
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Pinch grated nutmeg
Pecan Crumble
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup finely chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 oz unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions
- For the sweet potato mash, position a rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat to 400°F. Place the potatoes on a sheet pan and bake until there is no resistance when the potatoes are pierced, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Carefully slice each potato in half at the equator so it will fit into a potato ricer. Place flesh side down into the ricer and push through into a large bowl. Discard the skins. Repeat with all the potatoes.
- Put the butter, cream, and ginger into a medium saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and place the seeds and pod into the cream. Over medium heat, bring to a simmer. Turn off the heat and let steep for 10 minutes. Remove the vanilla pod and ginger pieces.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, salt, pepper, and nutmeg together. Then whisk in the steeped cream. Pour the mixture over the riced potatoes. Combine, taste, and adjust seasoning.
- For the pecan crumble, in a bowl combine the brown sugar, pecans, flour, butter, and salt. The pecan crumble can be stored wrapped in the refrigerator for 3 days or in the freezer for 3 months.
- Grease a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with butter. Evenly distribute the potatoes in the pan and sprinkle on the pecan topping.
- Position a rack in the middle of the oven and heat it to 350°F. Bake the sweet potato mash until the center is hot and set, 45 to 60 minutes.
