Some food is pretty. Some food is pretty ugly. But what's even more interesting is how good the ugly food usually tastes. I suppose it's because the food becomes ugly when smothered or slathered in some kind of sauce, rendering it unrecognizable to the eater. This dish is no exception.
I have always thought of the sweet potato as the ugly stepsister to the regular baking potato. The regular potato has a nice oval shape with sleek, rounded lines. While the sweet potato looks like some underground crazy tuber on steroids that twists and tortures itself through the soil as it grows. What goes on under the dirt, I have no idea.
However, you know what they say, "you're beautiful on the inside". And there is no doubt the sweet potato is one of the tastiest tubers around.
This particular dish is my entry into this month's Potato Ho Down event. The Potato Ho-Down is something Krysta and I came up with when we both proclaimed our obsession with the potato. We then shamelessly deemed ourselves Potato Ho's and the rest is history. The Ho-Down is now a monthly blogging event. Krysta, a.k.a. Evil Chef Mom, is hosting this month's Ho-Down and entries are due by August 17th.
Since we decided all Ho's need a good name each dish needs to be entered with your Potato Ho name, your first pet's name plus your middle name. So this dish shall be forever known as, Sparky Marie's Scalloped Sweet Potatoes in Lemon-Ginger Cream Sauce.
I never would have put these flavors together but somehow they are the perfect custardy match. These flavors intertwine to make one of the best scalloped potato tastes I have ever had.
Let's whip it up together shall we...
Here is what you'll need: Sweet Potatoes (or yams), heavy cream, granulated sugar, fresh ginger, fresh lemon juice and salt.
I used a mandolin to slice 2-1/2 pounds (8 cups) of sweet potatoes very thin.
To a large pot add 3 cups heavy cream, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice, 2 teaspoons fresh ginger and 2 teaspoons salt.
Cook over high heat until reduced to about 2 cups of liquid, about 15 minutes. You will need to stir constantly otherwise it will burn. When done the mixture will be thick and somewhat custardy-like.
Stir the sweet potatoes into the cream mixture, coating each and every slice with the cream. Okay, you don't have to get that crazy but you get the idea.
Ladle sweet potato-cream mixture into six individual creme brulee dishes or one shallow 2-quart casserole dish.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
Let rest 15 minutes before serving.
Seriously, this is so good. Not so pretty, but soooooooo good. I never thought a potato custard would have this effect on me. But then again what would you expect from a Potato Ho.
Sparky Marie's (Noble Pigs) Scalloped Sweet Potatoes in Lemon-Ginger Cream Sauce
adapted from Cuisine at Home
3 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, finely minced or use microplane grater
2 teaspoons salt
8 cups sweet potatoes (or yams), peeled, thinly sliced (2-1/2 pounds)
Boil heavy cream, lemon juice, sugar, ginger and salt in a large pan on high heat. Stir constantly for 15 minutes, reducing to about 2 cups of liquid.
Stir sweet potatoes into cream mixture and transfer to six individual creme brulee dishes or one 2-quart casserole dish.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. Let rest 15 minutes before serving.
Don't forget to get your Potato Ho-Down entries in!
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Those may not LOOK divine, but they SOUND divine, and orange IS my favorite color!!!
this would feed a small army, or alternately, me. you’d think i’d be put off my the copious cream, but it just makes me want it more. if you gave me permission to use cinnamon instead of ginger, i’d probably have a new favorite side dish.
Aw these are ever so pretty Cathy…I think they’re Cinderella potatoes. With that much cream & lemon & ginger within, I think these rock! I didnt know you did recipes…how nice!!
Ho! I may have to join this event simply to showcase my awesome potato ho name: Pepper June. Looks delicious!
I think ugly food tastes better because it can focus all it’s energy on being delicious. It doesn’t have to worry about things like presentation or appearance. It can look like mud stuck to your shoe dragged in something unmentionable and it still knows you’re going to clear your plate, go back for seconds and be sneaking some at midnight.
But your potato dish is still pretty. At least to me! But I bet it tastes just as good as ugly ugly food.
I just knew you would come up with the perfect potato recipe for this Ho Down. Such simple ingredients. I just happen to have all these ingredients on hand. I am going to try it. Hey, oatmeal is not all that pretty either, but tastes so good in the mornings!
I yam what I yam. And sweet potatoes and yams have always been one of my favorites. You’re killing me here with the heavy cream, though!
Your photos are really nice. In fact, this dish doesn’t look ugly at all, you did a wonderful job with those not so graceful sweet potatoes!
Those scalloped sweet potatoes look and sound so good!
Yum, it sounds sooo good, but mighty decadent!
I’m cracking up because I whipped up a sweet potato dish a couple of days ago that I was going to use for the hodown, but it wasn’t a pretty dish so I couldn’t take a decent looking picture for the life of me! (Delicious though!)
Now I’m working on potato plan B.
omg I have tried this 3 times now!! I love the sweet potato recipe, it’s not easy to find different ways to make sweet potatoes. I have an entry for the Potato Ho down!
hmmm…i have never eaten a sweet potato. they scare me…but your recipe makes them look kinda tasty. dare i try them!?
Looks awesome!
Again, I come here first before I do anything else, like check mail and horoscopes….I have two words for you…
simply divine! (ok and an added exclamation mark)
ps said via “Joey MacGuire movie”
“You had me at heavy cream”
oops I meant to type jerry macguire….but you knew that already…see what happens when I start to drool over your photos, I forget all conscienceness and create typos…lol
There’s a tear in my eye!!! These are the forgotten potato. My favorite! I love them with just plain butter… but HEAVY CREAM? Potatoes and Lemons and Cream… Oh My! Thanks Cathy… I’m making this tonight!
Gawd Cathy…just when I think you’ve posted the best recipe yet you come up with something even better. I love sweet potatoes and this looks so good I could cry. I’m definitely making these!
I am a big sweet potato fan, too. This looks absolutely delicious!
I actually think I love the sweet potato more than the “regular” potato. Thank you for this recipe! I will surely be making it!!
First, I think the dish looks pretty. I love bright colored foods, though. My mother in law grew sweet potatoes this summer, so we’ve been looking for ways to cook them. We’ve used them as they have grown and, with those that I couldn’t cook in time, I pureed to put in spaghetti sauce or sloppy joes.
Also, I freakin’ the Potato Ho graphic, especially the “Tell Me About It, Spud!”
Love it!
Mmmm…. I love sweet potatoes… and I think they are beautiful.
Those look fantastic!!! What are you talking about?!?! Mmmmm…. maybe it’s my obsession with the sweet potato that makes all sweet potato dishes, no matter how un-aesthetically appealing to others, looks GREAT to me! You’ve inspired my own ho-down entry… I said it out loud so I can’t get lazy and back out.
Looks good to me momma. Love the little background story on the potato story and how it got started, never knew that. I eat a lot of sweet potatoes fries with spicy chipotle sour cream. You married a great mix of flavors here for sure.
I bet that lemon-ginger cream sauce would taste good on anything.. like my fingers. *drool*
My husband and I love sweet potatos! This dish looks great. I think I might be able to get the kids to eat it!
I LOVE sweet potatoes and these look scrumptious! Pretty, too, BTW.
That doesn’t look ugly…it looks YUMMY! And remember, we taste with our eyes too.
BTW – sweet potato fries…ummmmmmmmm…..
Seeing as how you’ve not yet led my taste buds astray, I will trust you on this one and try it out. I’ve never been a fan of the sweet potato, but I am trying to learn to love her. Thanks for the great recipe.
Lord. Have. Mercy.
what a clever entry. and they are not ugly at all they are the orange haired step child. cute in it’s own way.
I’m so mad you called the sweet potato the ugly stepsister! how dare you!!?!? But, you have fully redeemed urself with that recipe and indulging pictures!
SP is my favorite potato, by the way!
I have always loved the Ugly Stepsista! I gotta try your recipe. Thanks!
Fran
I would expect nothing less from Sparky Marie. This looks so good. I can’t wait to try it.
Well, let’s face it, not all food is gorgeous to photograph but the taste more than makes up for it. I think they turned out great, especially that last photo. They look delicious as well. You really have some great ideas!
I absolutely love sweet potatoes: These have such a glam presentation and what sounds like a tangy-sweet twist. Maybe this one’ll get my hubby to join me in eating sweet potatoes!
The picture is simply divine! We have a brew pub fairly near by with the BEST beer battered yam fries, and if I can’t visit there, perhaps this will satisfy my craving while at home.
Ho time again – Yippee!! I just discovered sweet potatoes in the past couple years – Do not know why it took me so long?? Ugly never bothered me as long as it tasted good I was good to go. Yours looks so yummy and I am sure the taste is the exact same -
What a great way to use sweet potatoes. Looks delicious yet simple to make. My husband isn’t too fond of them but I am guessing he will like these with that sauce.
Hey, who you calling ugly stepsister! Sweet potatoes are sweet and prettier than the regular ol’ potato.
Seriously, though, that gratin looks to die for. You’ve certainly given sweet potatoes a makeover.
Cannot fail to mention that the sweet orange potato is packed full of lovely nutrients. And it photographs well.
Sweet potatoes are my favourite! The dish sounds perfectly wonderful, and I think your photos are gorgeous! I want!
Wow, does that look great. I heart sweet potatoes. You turned the ugly tuber into a pretty spectacular dish.
The photos look pretty darn good to me..and so do the spuds!
Oh and you should soooooo make my banana bread! I think I cam up with a winner! So moist and banana-y
Not ugly at all. Sweet potatoes are very pretty
I love the recipe but I have to figure out how to cut it down for just two of us.
The potatoes look beautiful, I think far prettier than the regular potato. Regardless I am up for all your spuds.
Yummy yum yum. It’s OK to be the ugly sister if you taste better
I just luv sweet potatoes…. I have to try this.
Now to find a way to save the recipe for when I have more people around to eat.. like Fidel.
Those sound damn fine. I wonder if you could replace the cream with soy milk.
heh … not ugly at all … in fact it looks pretty delicious … lol at the potato ho dish name XD
This is awesome! Seriously, incredibly good looking.. well not looking, but tasting. I can imagine it being anything less than perfect tasting. Okay, I’m starting to not make sense. this looks great. Let’s leave it at that.
I need to get moving on my POTATO HO entry!
thanks I don’t have any good sweet potato recipes and bman loves ‘em I usually roast them but this looks really tasty. So, the ugly stepsister is allowed in the ho down…who’da thunk it?
I love sweet potatoes. love ‘em, love ‘em! I can’t wait to try this recipe. You can never, never delete this blog — I have too many recipes to write down for keeps. Looks so YUMMY! Maybe for Thanksgiving this year … : )
i actually think of sweet potatoes as the prettier sis…lemme think of something to maintain my potato ho-ness hehe
Would it be inappropriate for me to say that those are some of the sexiest sweet potatoes I’ve ever seen? Sweet God. I’m drooling. And it’s really not attractive either.
just beautiful – wonderful and fabulous. creamy spiced sweet potatoes? c’mon…
YUMMMMMMMMMY! Those look delicious Cathy! Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
Oh girl – you have made my day – I adore sweet potatoes and can’t wait to try this. Is it illegal to try a ho-down recipe before the date of the actual ho-down?
Sweet potatos are like these italian cookies called Brutti ma Buoni (ugly but good)!
I too love the Olympics… it’s big in our family and we watch as much as we can. The sweet potatoes look delicious! YUM.
I think it’s mighty pretty! But then again, I’m a bit partial to sweet potatoes.
Not generally a huge fan of the sweet sweet potato recipes. But, this one is intriguing… and not even close to ugly
Who can resist a bright colored tuber??
I love sweet potatoes. And I think everything looks better in cute, individual gratin dishes. I gotta get me some!
Yum. Yum. Yum.
I’m loving orange right now, so this has my eye. Goodness that’s a lot of heavy cream. I can hear my arteries hardening as I type…I do happen to have brought home some sweet potatoes today, though…
Sweet potatoes are one of my favorite things!! And these look delicious.
I love the ginger in there–it sounds (and yeah, looks) fantastic, Cathy!
I don’t care if you look ugly…as long as you taste goooood.
I favor sweet potatoes over their pretty sisters. I’ll have to try them scalloped. It sounds delicious.
I am salivating over here. Yum!
Darling, there is nothing ugly about that dish. Sweet potatoes are one of my favourite things to eat.
YUM!!!
I love your use of ginger and sweet potatoes…most excellent.
And the brilliance of calling ‘em the ugly stepsista…hee hee hee
I just wanted to let you know that I cooked these last night and OMFG they are spectacular. Even my friends who swore they didn’t like sweet potatoes nor scalloped taters LOVED them. I was hoping for left overs, but there is none.
These ARE scrumptious. My grandmother used to make a nearly identical dish every Thanksgiving. Her twist? 1/2 yams 1/2 sliced apples, sans ginger.
YUM.
What if you creamed together a combination of soft soy curd with soy milk so that you had the thicker texture of cream? I was thinking something similar as I cannot eat dairy. this recipe sure does sound good though.
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