Bourbon-Walnut Sweet Potato Mash

Oh you are going to need to drink some cheap Bourbon to get over the ugliness photographed here.

Yes. It looks like a pile of…well…mashy-mush. And yes, it is so very yucky looking.

But hey, don’t judge a book by its cover. Ever.

I now know cheap Bourbon and sweet potatoes are a perfect foodie marriage.

And as ugly and bad as it looks, it is one of those ridiculously good tasting dishes.

Not all food photographs well.

Now if it was ugly and tasted gross, well into the trash it would go, but I urge you to make this. It’s pretty fabulous. I wouldn’t lead you astray.

Anyway, this sweet potato mash is full of decadent flavor (check out the ingredients). It’s the perfect holiday side to pass around with the ham, turkey, prime rib, pork or whatever you are having. This will definitely grace my holiday table in all of its ugly glory. We don’t discriminate against ugly food at the Noble Pig house.

And don’t worry, the bourbon addition does not give this an alcohol taste, it just enhances the flavor, making it complex and delicious.You wouldn’t even know it was there unless you added it yourself. Bourbon is sneaky like that. Although, a few swigs of the stuff will help you get past the authentic looks of this dish.

Here’s what you’ll need: Sweet potatoes, bourbon, maple syrup, heavy cream, butter (budda’), ground allspice, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg and walnuts.

Roast 4 pounds of red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams) on a rimmed baking sheet at 375 degrees until tender; about 1 to 1-1/2 hours. You can leave your potatoes whole or slice them in half like I did.

Cool the potatoes slightly and scoop the flesh into a large bowl. Mash them until a puree forms.

Heat 3/4 cup butter and 1/2 cup heavy cream in a small saucepan over low heat until butter melts, stirring occasionally. Gradually stir hot cream mixture into hot potatoes.

Stir in 1/4 cup pure maple syrup, 2 Tablespoons bourbon, 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground allspice and 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg. The recipe indicated to season with salt and pepper. I didn’t but you can if you want.

You can also prepare this up to this point and refrigerate up until one day ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm in the microwave.

Sprinkle with 1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped; serve. It’s really, really delicious. Really.

No, I’m the ugly duckling. No I am. No…I am. No…I am. I’ve had so many inquiries about my wooden ducks so here’s…err….another one! He totally wants the ugly mash, can you tell?

I promise, promise these are not weird hairs growing out of a wart…it’s fiber! You can get past it. Now, open up for a bite, k?

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