Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Browned Sage Butter

Now that I have thoroughly extolled the merits of sage and butter (see previous post), I feel obligated to provide an occasion for consumption. Here ya go. This recipe is not only delicious, but easy to make! And completely fat-free!

Ingredients:

6-8 medium sized sweet potatoes peeled and chopped (or yams of just about any variety... let's face it, the sage-butter is the star here)
1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
2 tsps. Salt (Or to taste)
1 tsp Pepper (Or to taste)
1 tsp Nutmeg (Or to taste)
2 Tsps Cinnamon (Notice a pattern?)
1 stick Butter
2 packages fresh Sage (It usually comes in those .66 ounce packages in the grocery store)

1) Place the sweet potatoes in a pot of water large enough to hold all the ingredients and bring to a rapid boil. Boil for about 20-30 minutes or until fork tender.
2) Meanwhile, pick the sage leaves from their stems and chop coarsely.
3) When the potatoes are tender, melt the butter in a medium sauce-pan over medium or medium low heat. After about 7-10 minutes the butter should turn a light brown color and have a nutty aroma.
4) While the butter browns, drain the potatoes, and mash. Add the heavy cream, salt, pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Season until the potatoes have a light holiday-spice flavor reminiscent of pumpkin pie.
5) Your butter should be light brown by now. Add the chopped sage leaves.
6) When the foam subsides and the sage leaves are crispy, incorporate the entire mixture into the sweet potatoes.
7) Enjoy!!!

Of Sage and Butter

It was a couple years ago when I first discovered the miraculous marriage of sage and butter. I was visiting my best friend in NYC, and we went to Etcetera Etcetera for dinner. I had the "Casoncelli alla bergamasca" which I'm pretty sure is Italian for "This is so good I would sell my firstborn to eat it again". The menu description read: "Veal, raisin and amaretto filled ravioli with butter, pancetta and sage". The ravioli was delightful. The pancetta - perfect. But then, there were these crispy sage leaves fried in butter that simply dissolved on your tongue in a puff of salty-savory goodness! 19th century opium dens could not produce the level of food-euphoria I experienced after eating one of these magical-fried-leaves of happiness. And like any good addict, I have spent the remainder of my life trying to recreate that first wonderful high.

In the post to come, I will give you a recipe for such an attempt (and quite a successful one I might add) at creating a sage and butter masterpiece.

I now give you an interpretive drumming of my reaction upon eating the fried sage leaves: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXLPveilqo8&feature=related
Go to 1:00 and enjoy.