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“Our fruit-forward Chardonnay has hints of minerals that balance the richness of the sweet potato. With aromas of orange peel, floral, and spice, our 2017 Copper Falls Pinot Grigio is a slightly more exotic pairing with sweet potatoes.” – Barrett Family Wines
Among the tastiest of the traditional Thanksgiving Foods are sweet potatoes or yams (they are actually different vegetables but can be handled in much the same way). They show up alongside the turkey on most Thanksgiving Day dining room tables in the candied form, drowning in buttery, brown sugary, caramelly syrup, however you can produce a delicious and healthier variation in the coals of your campfire. And if you want the extra sweet, we’ll offer a tip for that, too.
Campfire Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- Large sweet potatoes or yams (approximately one for each hungry guest)
- Aluminum foil (optional)
- Butter
- Thyme or sage leaves (optional)
- Maple Syrup (optional)
- Molasses (optional)
Instructions
- Scrub sweet potatoes clean and set aside to dry slightly on paper towel. Leave skins as intact as possible while removing any significant blemishes.
- If you desire a savory flavor to offset the potato’s natural sweetness, then slice the potato lengthways, most of the way through, and insert sprigs of thyme or sage leaves. Wrap the potatoes individually in aluminum foil. Make sure of a good, tight seal.
- Bury the wrapped potatoes in the dying coals of the campfire. Bake them for about 40 minutes to an hour, turning often so they cook evenly.
- An alternate method, if you don’t want to eat the skins, is to just put the sweet potato right down into the coals to bake. The skin will char, but if you watch it carefully, the inside will come out soft and sweet. Just discard the charred layer and mash the orange insides on your plate with butter.
- If you want the extra sweetness, while the potatoes are baking make a compound butter by stirring together softened butter and maple syrup or molasses. Add as much or as little as you like, but combine slowly while stirring (whipping) the butter. (If you dump all the liquid into the butter at once you’ll never get it to combine properly unless you melt the butter and the cool it to re-solidify.)
