White Sweet Potato Mash with Brown Butter Almonds and Pine Nuts
White Sweet Potato Mash with a hint of vanilla topped with crunchy and nutty Brown Butter Almonds and Pine Nuts. A show stopping side to any holiday meal this season!
1 1/2lbwhite sweet potatoes (or regular sweet potatoes), peeled and cut into 2" pieces
1/2cupheavy cream
8tbspunsalted buttermelted
1tspvanilla bean paste, optional but so worth it
kosher salt
BROWN BUTTER CRUNCHY TOPPING
3tbspslivered almonds
2tbsppine nuts
4tbspunsalted butter
6large sage leaves
Instructions
FOR THE WHITE SWEET POTATO MASH
Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until fork-tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain the potatoes into a colander.
Pass them through the small-hole disk of a potato ricer, back into the pot they were cooked in.
Stir in the cream, melted butter, vanilla bean paste and salt to taste.
FOR THE BROWN BUTTER CRUNCHY TOPPING
Preheat the oven to 300°F.
On a baking sheet, toast the slivered almonds and pine nuts in the oven until lightly golden brown, 2 - 5 minutes. KEEP AN EYE ON THEM!
In a medium sauté pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat until it foams.
Add the sage, almonds and pine nuts. Continue to cook, gently swirling the pan constantly, until the foam subsides and the butter is browned and nutty.
Immediately pour over the plated mashed potatoes or into a bowl on the side if serving later.
Notes
If you can't find white fleshed sweet potatoes, you can absolutely use orange fleshed ones! It will be just as delicious!You can hand mash the potatoes if you do not have a ricer.
Keep the mashed potatoes warm in a heatproof bowl, covered tightly with plastic wrap, over a pot of gently simmering water for up to an hour. If they get too thick, stir in a bit of cream.
You can make the brown butter and set it aside in a bowl. Just don’t leave it in the pan or else the butter will continue to cook and burn.