Take Your Pick of 2 Potato Dishes -- or Make Both

(Renee Comet Photography)

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Wednesday, November 16, 2005

No Thanksgiving table is complete without potatoes, and this year we bring you two variations on old favorites. Sweet potatoes are pureed with vanilla-infused cream. And made-ahead mashed potatoes get some additions -- cream cheese and sour cream -- and a new look as well.

Vanilla Sweet Potato Puree

6 servings

Find room on your Thanksgiving table for these moist sweet potatoes, which have a subtle vanilla flavor. When selecting sweet potatoes, choose ones that are medium size; the large ones are more likely to be starchy and fibrous. For an ultra-silky texture, New York restaurateur Terrance Brennan uses a food processor to puree the sweet potatoes with warm cream. We achieved good results using a whisk -- just be sure the baked sweet potatoes are soft.

Adapted from "Artisanal Cooking," by Terrance Brennan and Andrew Friedman (Wiley, 2005).

MAKE AHEAD: The entire dish can be made up to a day in advance and refrigerated in a sealed container. Reheat it on the stovetop.

1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, cleaned, pricked with a fork and left a bit damp

3/4 cup plus 1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream

1/3 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped (may substitute 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or to taste)

1 teaspoon grated orange zest (optional)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

Kosher salt

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