Confit Parisienne Sweet Potatoes
Duck Fat, Almond-Chile Crunch, Cane Syrup, Borage Blossoms
Chef Ryan Hacker of Brennan’s | New Orleans
“For many people in South Louisiana, myself included, candied yams are mandatory for any holiday table. This dish is an updated version where we confit Parisian scooped sweet potatoes in duck fat, fry them in the same fat, then glaze them with cane syrup. By cooking in duck fat, we add umami to the sweet potatoes, and the cane syrup provides a bitter sweetness. We finish the sweet potatoes with a chile crunch that adds more umami and some spice to balance the sweetness of the potatoes. In order to add some acidity and freshness to the dish, we finish with Fresh Origins Borage Blossoms.” - Chef Ryan Hacker
Adapted by StarChefs | May 2023
INGREDIENTS
Almond-Chile Crunch:
Yield: 1 quart
100 grams chile de árbol
2 cups canola oil
50 grams thinly sliced shallots
50 grams minced garlic
5 grams ground black pepper
10 grams salt
2½ grams MSG
100 grams slivered almonds, toasted
To Assemble and Serve:
2 cups duck fat
3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled
Salt
2 ounces cane syrup
Fresh Origins Borage Blossoms
METHOD
For the Almond-Chile Crunch:
In a food processor, pulse chiles until a fine consistency is achieved. Set aside. In a saucepan, add oil and shallots. Place pot over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until shallots are golden brown. Strain, returning oil to pot and placing browned shallots onto a paper towel-lined sheet tray. Repeat the same process for garlic. Add the processed chiles, black pepper, salt, and MSG to the hot oil. Let cool to room temperature. Once cooled, stir in reserved shallots, garlic, and almonds. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.
To Assemble and Serve:
Using a melon baller, scoop sweet potatoes into as many balls as possible. Set aside. In a saucepan over medium-high flame, heat duck fat. Reduce heat to low and add sweet potato balls. Cook 20 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are just tender, making sure not to let the sweet potatoes brown. Strain. Reserve duck fat and transfer sweet potatoes to a paper towel-lined sheet tray. Let cool. Place saucepan over high flame and heat 2 ounces reserved duck fat. Add cooked sweet potatoes and gently toss until evenly coated in fat. Season with salt and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until evenly browned. Remove pot from heat and add cane syrup. Gently swirl sweet potatoes around the pot until evenly coated with cane syrup and duck fat. Transfer potatoes to a large serving platter. Spoon Almond Chile Crunch over top. Garnish with Fresh Origins Borage Blossoms.
