BEST BAKED SWEET POTATOES WITH GARLIC AND CHIVE SOUR CREAM

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:

The goal when baking sweet potatoes is entirely different than when baking russets: creamy—rather than fluffy—flesh with deeply complex flavor. Sweet potatoes bake differently than russets due to their lower starch level and higher sugar content. We learned that to bake
a whole sweet potato to the point where its exterior was nicely tanned and its interior was silky and sweetly caramelized, the potatoes needed to reach 200 degrees and stay there for an hour, long enough for the starches to gelatinize and the moisture to evaporate for concentrated flavor. To keep our recipe efficient, we microwaved the potatoes until they hit 200 degrees and then transferred them to a hot oven to linger. Putting them on a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet allowed air to circulate around the potatoes and also caught any sugar that oozed from the potatoes as they roasted. A quick garlic-chive sour cream topping provided a cool, creamy finishing touch.

SERVES: 4

TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

GARLIC AND CHIVE SOUR CREAM

• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ⅛ teaspoon salt

POTATOES

• 4 small sweet potatoes (8 ounces each), unpeeled, each lightly pricked with fork in 3 places
• Salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

FOR THE GARLIC AND CHIVE SOUR CREAM

1. Combine all ingredients in small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

FOR THE POTATOES

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Place potatoes on large plate and microwave until potatoes yield to gentle pressure and register 200 degrees, 6 to 9 minutes, flipping potatoes every 3 minutes.
3. Place wire rack in aluminum foil–lined rimmed baking sheet and spray rack with vegetable oil spray.
4. Transfer potatoes to prepared rack and bake for 1 hour (exteriors of potatoes will be lightly browned and potatoes will feel very soft when squeezed).
5. Slit each potato lengthwise.
6. Using clean dish towel, hold ends and squeeze slightly to push flesh up and out.
7. Transfer potatoes to serving platter.
8. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
9. Serve with sour cream topping.