Sometimes a great recipe comes from an unexpected place.
There are definite downsides to social media but one of the upsides is connecting with people you’ve never met face to face in places you’ve never been. One of these surprise friends is Daniel Quintero, a Venezuelan journalist and food writer living in Lima, Peru. He’s connected to chefs and food culture there in a really interesting way. We started chatting a few years ago and I’ve even sent friends who traveled to Lima to meet him. So when Daniel sent me the photo above I took notice. The recipe was developed by Chef Ashton Mullikin, an expat living in Lima who is the chef-owner at Café A Bistró.
For seven years Mullikin has provided Lima with a taste of American casual classics from burgers and eggs benedict to an extensive menu of Thanksgiving favorites to-go.
He was asked by online magazine Traveling and Living in Peru to share a Thanksgiving sweet potato recipe. They expected some kind of puree but instead Mullikin gave them this gorgeous Sweet Potato Rose. It’s made by first peeling the potatoes and thinly slicing them into strips. After a bath in a spiced orange juice mixture the strips are formed into a rose and slowly baked until soft and caramelized.
I’m definitely making this to bring to the Thanksgiving dinner I attend. If you decide to make it, let me know how it goes.
Chef Ashton Mullikin’s Sweet Potato Rose
Sweet Potatoes: 4 medium
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 gm Cloves
250 gms Orange juice
Zest of 2 oranges
1 gm Ground Coffee
1 gm Ground Cinnamon
1 gm Nutmeg
1 Tbsp Molasses
200 gms Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp Butter
Prepare the Sweet Potatoes: Peel and thinly slice
your sweet potatoes into strips.
Seasoning: In a large bowl, combine all the seasonings and orange juice
with the sliced sweet potatoes, ensuring they are
completely covered. The sugar and the salt in the mixture
with help draw the moisture out of the sweet potatoes and
help bake more evenly.
Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 300°F.
Assemble the Rose Layers: Take a round baking dish and
start assembling the sweet potato layers in the shape of a
rose. Begin from the outer edge and work your way
towards the center, slightly overlapping each slice until you
reach complete the rose. Once you finish assembling the sweet
potatoes, pour the remaining sauce over them and add one
tablespoon of butter on top.
Cover and Bake: Cover the baking dish with parchment
paper, pressing it down to make contact with the sweet
potatoes for even cooking. Then cover with aluminum foil
and bake in the preheated oven for at least 2 hours or until
the sweet potatoes are completely cooked and soft. Be
cautious to prevent the liquid from reducing too much and
to avoid burning the sugars. If the liquids are reducing
before the sweet potatoes are cooked, add a little more
orange juice or water.
Plate: Once fully cooked, use a rubber spatula to free the
sides from the baking dish before it cools. After it cools,
place a plate over the baking dish, flip it over, and serve it
bottom side up.
Thanksgiving Help
If you want a deep dive into how to make a perfect pie crust here’s my video about it.
We’ve created a document at Good Food with links to 45 great pie recipes we’ve talked about on the show.
I love this, Evan, its beautiful. I want to try it this year!
I think this is a "win" or a "loose". If it come out of the pan you brought the best dish. If it doesn't well "sorry I didn't bring anything this year".