A Latino-Inspired Thanksgiving

Sweet Potatoes  with Orange- Piloncillo Syrup  & Chile de Árbol

INGREDIENTS

3          lb. sweet potatoes, scrubbed and rinsed

4          tbsp. unsalted butter

¾         cup packed grated piloncillo (Mexican brown sugar) or dark brown sugar

½        cup orange juice, preferably fresh

2          tbsp. fresh squeezed lime juice

2-4      chiles de árbol, stems and seeds removed, toasted and chopped

¼         tsp. kosher or coarse sea salt, or to taste               

PREP

In 8-quart soup pot, place sweet potatoes and cover with water. Bring to boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, cover pot and simmer, about 25 to 35 minutes. Sweet potatoes are ready when tip of knife goes through them easily. Drain and let cool.

To make syrup, in 3-quart saucepan over medium-low heat place butter, piloncillo, orange juice and lime juice. Once butter dissolves, let mixture simmer 4 to 5 minutes, until it gains a light syrupy consistency.

Preheat oven to 425°F. Butter 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Peel and slice cooled sweet potatoes into ½-inch to ¾-inch rounds. In baking dish, layer potatoes in rows. Pour syrup on top and sprinkle with chile de árbol and salt. Bake 15 to 20 minutes. Halfway through baking time, spoon some syrup on top of sweet potatoes. Bake until syrup has thickened to your liking and sweet potatoes have glazed crust. Serve hot.

Makes 10 servings.

Meet Our Chef!

Pati Jinich is a passionate cooking teacher and the host of the public-television series Pati’s Mexican Table. A Mexico City native, she currently resides in Washington, DC, where she serves as the official chef of the Mexico Cultural Institute and is a contributor to Latina.com.