Sweet Potato & Parsnip Mash Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

How do you make Ina Garten mashed sweet potatoes? ›

Place the sweet potato meat into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and add the orange juice, cream, butter, brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Mix together until combined but not smooth and transfer to a baking dish. Bake the potatoes for 20 to 30 minutes, until heated through.

Parsnips are a starchy root vegetable and running them through the food processor too long or at too high of a speed can cause the starches to congeal. I recommend pulsing the parsnips with additional coconut milk or water to prevent an undesirable gummy texture.

How Do I Make Sure My Mashed Sweet Potatoes are Not Watery? To make sure your potatoes aren't watery, don't overcook the potatoes. It's also important to drain the potatoes completely once you're done boiling them to avoid having unwanted water lingering in your pot.

The secret weapon, a good potato ricer (affiliate). This pushes the potatoes into strings, which helps them soak up every bit of the cream and achieve maximum fluffliness.

Boil the sweet potatoes in a large stockpot until soft, about 25 minutes; drain. When cool enough to handle, peel the potatoes and transfer them to a large bowl. While the potatoes are still warm, add the butter, cream, agave, cinnamon and salt, and mash until smooth. Sprinkle with the orange zest.

Despite their sweet taste, these potatoes have an intermediate glycemic index (GI) level, meaning they are digested and absorbed fairly slowly, leading to a more gradual increase in blood sugar levels. But, a lot of these benefits, including nutrients and taste, can be lost by boiling sweet potatoes.

Boiling may theoretically be best, but sweet potatoes are so incredibly healthy that the actual best way to prepare them is whichever way will get you to eat the most of them! The exception is deep frying, which can lead to the formation of acrylamide, a potential human carcinogen.

If a raw parsnip becomes soft and squishy, this is a sign of rot and it should no longer be eaten.

Remember, once you peel them, you'd have to cook them–or the parsnips will start to discolour. If you're cooking with old, large parsnips, you should also discard any very fibrous centres that you find, as those might be bitter and unpleasant to eat.

The flavor of parsnips pairs well with other root vegetables, like beets, sweet potatoes, and carrots. They're also delicious with cauliflower, potatoes, and Brussels sprouts. Don't be afraid to roast these parsnips with other veggies of choice for a fiber-rich, delicious side dish.

How does Gordon Ramsay make smashed potatoes? ›

Gordon Ramsay begins by boiling the potatoes in salted water. Next, he drains the potatoes. After that, he stirs in butter, sour cream, herbs, and seasoning. This is Gordon Ramsay's version of smashed potatoes, which differs from the one in this recipe.

Regular potatoes are higher in potassium, while sweet potatoes provide much more vitamin A. Sweet and regular potatoes are both tuberous root vegetables, but they differ in appearance and taste. They come from separate plant families, offer different nutrients, and affect your blood sugar differently.