Can You Sous Vide Sweet Potatoes?

Anyone who is just starting their wild and exciting adventure into the world of sous vide often find themselves wondering which ingredients they should start preparing using their new favorite method. Meat seems like the most obvious choice. After all, it’s likely how you were introduced to food prepared sous vide in the first place. However, to limit your sous vide time purely to serving up tender meats would be a huge mistake. There are plenty of other foods that are just as lusciously delicious when prepared sous vide. So, new sous vide owners should be experimenting. They should constantly be expanding their sous vide repertoire. One of the finest sous vide secrets that they should be treating themselves to is the way the technique gets the best out of the sweet potato.

When cooked sous vide, sweet potatoes truly live up to their name. The beloved starchy vegetable is at its best when cooked in a hot water bath, as at these cooking temperatures starch turns into maltose, making these root veggies amazingly sweet and flavorful. You’ll be shocked by how these techniques transform the sweet potato from a secondary starch into a tasty treat. Whether you’re looking for a restaurant-worthy Thanksgiving side dish or an idea for a delicious homecooked meal for your family, these sous vide sweet potato recipes have got you covered! So, if you’ve been expanding your sous vide menu and are looking for your next challenge, you just found it. The sweet potato should be one of your sous vide favorites and the following recipes are guaranteed to prove why.

Sous Vide Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

• 2.2 lbs (or 1 kg) of sweet potatoes that have been peeled and quartered.
• ¼ cup (or 60 ml) of extra virgin olive oil.
• 1 tablespoon of honey, agave nectar, or maple syrup (depending on what you have available).
• Some sea salt, used to taste.

Instructions

Set your sous vide cooker to 160 degrees Fahrenheit or 71 degrees Celsius. Peel, quarter, and cut the sweet potatoes to slices and seal in vacuum sous vide bag. Cook for an hour, during which time you should preheat your stove’s oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius). Once the sous vide sweet potatoes are done, drain the liquid and mix them with olive oil, honey, and salt. Now it’s time to set them on a tray and bake them for about an hour or until the sweet potatoes are crispy and golden from both sides. Prepared this way, you sweet potato slices will be sweet and caramelized explosions of flavor that will light up your mouth and transform the way that you think of the starchy root forever.

Sous Vide Candied Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs (or 700 grams) of sweet potatoes that have been peeled and cubed.
• ¼ cup (or 60 grams) of unsalted butter that has been either chopped to pieces or grated.
• ¼ cup (or 60 grams) of brown sugar.
• 1 cup (or 50 grams) of fluffy marshmallows.
• Some cinnamon, used to your taste.
• Some ground clove, used to your taste.
• Some nutmeg, used to your taste.

Instructions

First, preheat your sous vide oven to 185 degrees Fahrenheit or 85 degrees Celsius. Next, peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into ½ inch bite-sized cubes. Mix all the spices, sugar, and butter with the sweet potatoes in a zip bag or plastic vacuum bag. Seal the bag and cook in your sous vide for 1 to 1.5 hours. However long it takes until the sweet potatoes are nice and tender. Once cooked, the sous vide sweet potatoes should be topped with marshmallows. For the finishing touch, use a kitchen torch to sear and melt the topping. Serve the dessert while it’s still hot. Your family will be shocked at how sweet and delicious sweet potatoes can truly taste. They’ll doubt that this qualifies as a desert until it touches their tongue. After that, they will never go back to the way things were. Sweet potatoes will suddenly be a favorite dessert at your dinner table.

Sous Vide Sweet Potato Casserole

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs (or 700 grams) of sweet potatoes that have been peeled and diced.
• 6 tablespoons of grated unsalted butter.
• 1 cup of breadcrumbs.
• 1 teaspoon of salt.
• 1 pinch of cinnamon.
• 1 pinch of nutmeg.
• Some black pepper, used to taste.
• 2 tablespoons of heavy cream.

Instructions

Peel and dice the sweet potatoes to small pieces of similar size (perfection is not necessary here given that the potatoes will ultimately be mashed). Preheat the hot water bath to 181 degrees Fahrenheit or 83 degrees Celsius. Combine the diced sweet potatoes with 4 spoons of butter and spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, pepper). Seal it all in a plastic sous vide bag and cook for 2 hours. Strain the liquid from the pouch and mash the sous vide sweet potatoes until fluffy and tender. Transfer the potatoes to a casserole pan and top with the remaining 2 spoons of butter and breadcrumbs. Bake at 400 Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius) until golden brown- approximately 20 minutes. Serve to your family and watch their faces drop as they realize just how sweet and delicious this dish truly is. If you’ve ever wondered why yams are called sweet potatoes these days, this recipe should clear up any concerns.