Dear readers...winter draws ever nearer. And as the chill winds of the season sweep over us what should appear on street corners all over Asia but the wonderful street hawkers that sell roasted sweet potato. OMgosh, the aroma of that roasting sweet potato! So good! That hot plump sweet potato is exactly the thing to hold in your chilly hands. Not to mention that first luscious bite of the creamy, sweet hot potato flesh. Just the thing to warm you up and put you to rights inside and out!
And if, poor darlings, you don't have a friendly neighborhood sweet potato hawker, don't worry a bit, we're here to save the day! Cuz, guess what, you can easily make superb baked sweet potato at home that tastes just as good as any you can get from a street vendor.
Baked sweet potato 烤番薯 is so super simple to make. And oh so yummy to eat: hot, sweet and creamy. It just warms the ol' heart, it does.
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| HK roasted sweet potato hawker...yummy!! |
To start with, know that there are so many types of sweet potato! Surely a most wondrous gift from Mother Nature. They come in so many guises. Beige skinned, purple skinned, red skinned. The insides range from creamy yellow to orange to purple.
Sweet potatoes cook up sweet and starchy, like Nature's candy. Not only are they yummilicious but, did you know, they are considered a superfood. Sweet potatoes are fully packed with fiber, antioxidants, vitamins (especially vitamin A) and minerals.
We decided to go for some Japanese sweet potatoes, red on the outside and a creamy white on the inside that turns a most lovely yellow when cooked. These sweet potatoes are quite sweet , just right up our alley! In Japan these particular roasted sweet potatoes are known as yaki imo and are a treasured winter snack.
Whatever sweet potato you end up with just give it a good scrub on the skin, dry it and then give it one or two pokes with a fork. This will prevent the potato from exploding when it bakes.
The next thing to do is to decide if you want to go the naked. Ha, ha, not decide for yourself silly, for the sweet potato. If you cook the sweet potato naked you will get a drier slightly more caramelized flavor. And the skin will easily separate from the flesh. If you decide on clothing the sweet potato (with silvery aluminum foil) the sweet potato will be moister with a soft skin that you can eat along with the flesh.
We decided not to go naked.
Here are our ‘clothed’ sweet potatoes, all dressed and ready to go. Our sweet potatoes were really small, can you tell?
An hour or so in the oven and your sweet potatoes are ready to enjoy. No muss, no fuss, it’s really a great way to prepare a healthy, heart warming snack. Baked sweet potatoes, hot from the oven, are such a treat! Get ready to break one open and enjoy the sweet, creamy chestnut-y flavors of the baked sweet potato! We hope you enjoy this winter sweet snack as much as we do!
Baked Sweet Potato Recipe
烤番薯
(Serves 4) Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 50 mins
Ingredients:
- 12 small Japanese sweet potatoes or 4 large ones (or whatever sweet potato you like)
- Aluminum foil
Directions:
Scrub the skin of the sweet potato with a brush under running water. Let dry. Use a fork to poke one or two holes in the sweet potato.
Wrap each sweet potato in aluminum foil (or not, see post above for more info) and set them in a baking pan.
Don't preheat the oven. Place the baking tray in oven and then set the temp to 375°F (190°C). Bake for 50 mins or until a knife easily pierces the biggest sweet potato.
Serve hot and delicious. Unwrap the foil and slice in half. To eat use a spoon to scoop the flesh out. You can also eat the skin.
If you can’t eat ‘em all at once, let cool to room temp and then store covered in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the oven (350°F for 10-15 mins). To store longer place in a ziplock and keep in the freezer for up to month. Let thaw completely and then reheat in oven.
Winter Warmers at The Hong Kong Cookery:
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