Lemony Sweet Potatoes In A Light Lemon Syrup

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Lemony Sweet Potatoes In A Light Syrup

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Lemony sweet, this is an ideal dessert to serve after an Asian meal. It is quick, simple and inexpensive to make. Other plus points? It can be made ahead and those lemon slices turn nice and syrupy sweet.

I came across this recipe many years ago in a Japanese cookbook and I made it only once that many years ago and served it at a party. 

Considering it was so well received, I am rather baffled as to why I never served it again. I distinctly remember, this one particular lady picking up her plate over and over again to help herself to more. I was asked repeatedly to make them again but I never did get around to it. 

Now, I am making things right. Here is the recipe. You don't have to wait for me to whip them up again. You can make some for yourselves tonight. It's not the exact recipe as I can't seem to find that cookbook but I have come up with this recipe and retested it 3 times so I know it works.
SIMMERED SWEET POTATOES IN A LIGHT LEMON SYRUP

Prep:	5 to 10 minutes
Cook:	15 minutes
Inactive:	-
Level:	Easy
Serves:	4
Oven Temperature:	-
Can recipe be doubled?	Yes
Make ahead?	Keeps well refrigerated up to 3 days.

Just the ingredients 14oz (400g) sweet potatoes 3 - 4 Tablespoons sugar (add more if you like things sweeter) 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 cup water or enough to almost cover 1/2 to 1 lemon, sliced thinly Lemon juice for squeezing over cooked sweet potatoes (optional)

Ingredients

14oz (400g) sweet potatoes
How to choose sweet potatoes? Scroll down to 'Tips'.

3 - 4 Tablespoons sugar 
Add more if you like things sweeter

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup water or enough to almost cover

1/2 to 1 lemon, sliced thinly 
Adjust to your taste - I like it tart so I use up almost a whole lemon depending on its size

Lemon juice to squeeze over cooked sweet potatoes (optional)

Method

Wash sweet potatoes, dry, peel and remove any dark spots. Slice into 0.39" (1 cm) rounds. To prevent them from discolouring and to rinse off some of the starch, add the end slices of the lemon into a bowl of water and drop the sweet potato rounds in it. 

In a wide bottom frying pay, remove the drained sweet potatoes and lay them in one layer. Add enough water to barely cover the sweet potatoes, sprinkle the sugar and salt, cover the pan and bring to boil over high heat. 

Once it comes to a boil, reduce heat to low, still covered, to simmer away for approximately 5 to 8 minutes to cook through. Test with a skewer. If it pushes through easily, it is done. Do not continue to boil over high temperatures as the sweet potatoes will crack or break apart.

Remove the lid, turn over the sweet potato slices one at a time to prevent breakage, slip in the lemon slices, scoop some syrup over the lemon slices and cover the pan. 

Continue to simmer for 5 minutes or until the syrup reaches only 1/3 up the sides of the sweet potatoes. Leave it covered on the burner to cool and absorb more of the lemony syrup.

However, if the sweet potatoes have been cooked thoroughly than remove to serving plate.

Squeeze lemon juice over the plated sweet potatoes.

This lemony sweet potato can be served hot, at room temperature or cold. It taste wonderful any which way. 

Tips

 Serving suggestions

• Do serve those slices of lemon with the sweet potatoes. They will be wonderfully tart, lemony and sweet at the same time. You might want to cut them into smaller pieces if you don't think you care for too much of it. I can't get enough of the lemon slices.

• I like to sprinkle a Japanese 7-flavours chilli spice mix, Shichimi/Nanami Togarashi, before I eat. It is really not that spicy of a mix and it gives a nice contrast to the sweet and lemony sweet potatoes. The mix has 7 ingredients: chilli pepper, roasted orange peel, black and white sesame seeds, Japanese (sansho/szechuan) pepper, ginger and seaweed. Refer to the top most photograph. There is a bottle of it featured.

Choosing sweet potatoes

• Reach for larger, fatter ones as they are more likely to be less fibrous 
• Smooth skins and less buds ('eyes')
• No dark spots or shoots
• Comes in a variety of skin colours, yellow, orange, purple which really is not any indication of how sweet the sweet potatoes will be. More often than not, Japanese grown sweet potatoes will be sweet.

WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT?                                                  
Cupcakes in time for Valentine's Day!

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This is my latest creation. Born out of a dash of creativity but more out of that conscience driven need to not throw food out. 

Look out for the recipe for these moist cupcakes. A hint as to what is in them? Coconut milk, desiccated coconut, bananas...and a chocolate hazelnut ball of Ferrero Rocher!