Purée My Heart

culinary planking

The main lesson this week was sauteing.

We learned about proper saute temperature. If the pan is hot enough to saute, a drop of water will act like mercury. Try it, it's super cool.

We made a version of glazed carrots that makes me rethink the relevance of cooked carrots all together.

We sauteed mushrooms and potatoes.

And, as with any good intro culinary class we practiced our knife cuts. A. Lot.

But, I always know a lesson has had an impact when I'm motivated to go home and recreate it that night after already spending 6 to 8 hours in a kitchen. So, instead of recapping the sauté lesson,

Lesson 3: Sweet Potato Purée or Why I Need a Vitamix

Part of our homework the previous week was to cut 1/4 and 1/8 inch planks from sweet potatoes.

Chef promised that in order to Waste Nothing (Rule 11 of the Chef's Oath) he would teach us how to make the most amazing sweet potato puree.

I don't particularly care for purées because of the texture so I was skeptical. And, for that reason, I am far from an expert on the subject but HOT DAMN.

This 3 ingredient purée made my taste buds sing.

It is a definite addition to next year's Thanksgiving menu and I have plans to make a savory dessert using the purée and layers of puff pastry.

Update: 

Since this is by far my most popular post to date, here's how to make the puree:

Simmer at least 5 cloves of garlic in about 2 cups of cream for roughly 45 minutes. I used a whole head of garlic because I love me some garlic :)

And, when I say simmer I mean it. Otherwise the cream will boil over the pot and make one hell of a mess.

Meanwhile, cook your sweet potatoes. If you cut them small they'll cook super fast.

Then, puree the potatoes, simmered garlic cloves, and enough cream to get the correct consistency. You should be able to do it in a blender. Or, with a hand mixer if you're desperate.

Remember, less is best. Add the liquid slowly. You don't want soup. 

Enjoy!