Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes
There’s something beautifully comforting about twice-baked sweet potatoes, especially when they’re dressed up with a few simple yet indulgent toppings. The natural sweetness of the potatoes becomes a delightful canvas for crispy pancetta, the earthy crunch of toasted pecans and the fragrant whisper of fried sage. Each spoonful offers a satisfying blend of flavours and textures that’s perfect for a cozy winter’s night when you crave warmth and richness. Serve this dish with Chateau Ste. Michelle Chardonnay or Seghesio Sonoma Zinfandel.Ingredients
Serves 6
3 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed and pricked a few times with a fork
¼ cup (60 ml) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tbsp (30 ml) whipping cream
1 clove garlic, minced
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 egg, lightly whisked
3 oz (85 g) diced pancetta
12 leaves fresh sage
¼ cup (60 ml) toasted pecans, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C).
- Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and bake until easily pierced with a knife, 40 to 50 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- If baking stuffed potatoes right away, increase oven temperature to 425 F (220 C); if stuffing to bake later, turn off oven and then preheat to 425 F (220 C) before baking. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Once sweet potatoes have cooled enough to handle, slice each potato in half lengthwise and carefully scoop out flesh into a mixing bowl, making sure not to tear skins. Set skins aside on lined baking sheet.
- To bowl with sweet potato flesh, add butter, whipping cream and garlic. Mash with a fork or potato masher until well incorporated and smooth. Season with a good pinch of both salt and pepper, then add egg and stir to fully incorporate into mixture. Scoop sweet potato mixture into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe mixture back into skins. Stuffed potatoes can be covered and chilled at this point for up to 6 hours.
- Bake filled sweet potato halves until tops are lightly puffed and golden brown, 15 to 25 minutes. Potatoes that have been chilled will take longer.
- Meanwhile, add diced pancetta to a small, cold frying pan and place over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until crisp, 10 to 15 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Keep any accumulated fat in frying pan over medium heat.
- Working in small batches, drop sage leaves into frying pan. Take care, as any remaining fat in pan will sputter and pop. Let sage crisp for 2 to 4 seconds before removing to paper-towel-lined plate with pancetta. Repeat with remaining sage.
- Top potatoes with a sprinkle of pancetta, crumbled sage and toasted pecans. Serve warm.