Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Mascarpone, Basil and Jack Daniels

This recipe is good any time of year, but seems more appropriate during the cold winter months.  Sweet potatoes, yams, garnet yams, baby garnet yams, okinawa sweet potatoes... all work so well.  Sweet potatoes are, of course, one of those superfoods we talk so much about.  It's rich in complex carbs, fiber, beta-carotene, and many other vitamins and minerals.  It ranks at the top of the most nutritional lists, and is one of the best foods you can eat.  And it's delicious.

Many recipes call for the addition of a lot of unnecessary 'junk' to make the sweet potatoes sweeter.  Marshmellows, brown sugar, sweetened condensed milk, and so on.  While tasty, they're not necessary to have great sweet potatoes.   You do need some sort of fat to bring the flavor together and produce that creamy texture.  I am using mascarpone cheese in this recipe, but butter work, coconut milk works, cream cheese works, and so on.

 It's richness is cut with the brightness of the basil, which also adds a wonderful complimentary flavor.  Remember, balance is important.  Add a little jack for the complex smokiness, and you have a great recipe!

Mashed Sweet Potatoes with JD, Basil, and Mascarpone

Prep time:  5 minutes
Cook time:  30 minutes
Yield:  4-5 servings

Ingredients:

4 medium sized sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1 inch pieces
8 oz mascarpone cheese
1/2 bunch basil, very fine chiffonade
2 tbsp jack daniel's whiskey
1/2 cup heavy cream
kosher salt
black pepper

Method:

Place the sweet potatoes in a pot and cover with cold water.  Add about 1 tablespoon salt.  Bring to a simmer and cook until tender.  Strain and return to the pot.  Return the pot to heat and cook for about 30 seconds to dry the potatoes.  Remove from the heat and mix in the jack, mascarpone cheese, heavy cream and a little salt and pepper.  Use a potato masher.  Work until smooth.  Check the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if necessary.  Mix in the basil at the very end.  Serve right away.

Enjoy.