I've never seen sweet potatoes in Paris and when I spotted them today in the Monoprix (French Safeway) there were only two looking forlorn in a basket all by themselves. I had to save them. They're probably not in season. I don't even know if sweet potatoes have a season! I always see them year round back home – that's not saying much though is it?
I hold patate douce dear to my heart...
Ten years ago when I cooked in SF I used to take the last night train home after dinner service. We always got a free meal with our shift and I would package mine togo and trade the ticket lady, a Southern woman, my dinner for a free ride home. It was a good deal for both of us. The food was hot and delicious and I was poor. One ticket home was the equivalent to one hour's worth of work in those days. (Eeeek! That was a long time ago!!!)
There were always weirdos on the last train out of SF. Lots of drunks and druggies. I learned all the Caltrans code words for 'drunk' or 'jerk' as the conducters would radio back and forth to each other about the passangers. But sometimes, the ticket lady, needing a respite from all the chaos, would sit beside me, eat her free meal, and talk food. She was a soul food specialist and she luuuuuved sweet potatoes like no one I have ever met before. And although she had no desire to go back to the South, I still think she might be persuaded if some one offered a life long supply of sweet potatoes.
Sweet potato pie was her specialty and I still have her recipe – and no, you can't have it – I promised I wouldn't share it with anyone. But she also sang the virtues of sweet potato hash, sweet potatoes mashed, candied sweet potatoes (and yams too), and sweet potato chips. She even liked sweet potato raw. And so do I, but I don't know if you're supposed to eat it that way.
I can't eat a sweet potato today without thinking of her. I'm sure we'll both meet again some day in that sweet potato pie up in the sky. But for now, I'll leave you with a recipe for lightly spiced pork chops served up with some orange-ginger sweet potato hash in her honor.
Technorati Tags: Côtelettes de Porc, ginger, orange, patate douce, pork chops, rabbit, recipe, spice, sweet potato, sweet potato hash
Côtelettes de Porc aux épices, Gratin de Patate Douce à l'Orange et au Gingembre
serves 2
Ingredients
4 thin pork chops about 1/2" thick
1 sweet potato diced
1 small yellow onion diced
1 tablespoon of fresh ginger grated or minced
Juice & zest of one orange
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 bunch chives finely chopped
1 cups pork stock, chicken stock, vegetable stock, or veal stock
Olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
cinnamon
cumin
salt
pepper
Instructions
1. Dice sweet potato and yellow onion. Mince ginger. Zest orange and mince half of zest to add to sweet potatoes and half for decoration at the end.
2. Place a non-skillet onto high heat with 2-3 T of olive oil. When it's hot add sweet potatoes, onions, and ginger. Lightly brown and turn down heat to medium. When sweet potatoes are cooked but not mushy, deglaze pan by squeezing one half of orange over it. It will bubble and evaporate. Sprinkle brown sugar over and add 1/4 cup of stock. Let cook down. Stir often. Turn down heat to low while cooking pork chops and add more orange juice if you like the flavor.
3. Sprinkle lightly over both sides of pork chops: cumin, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Heat 1-2 T of olive oil in a non-stick pan on medium-high heat. When pan is hot add pork chops. Brown on both sides until cooked through (about 3 minutes each side). Remove pork chops and let rest. Deglaze pan while it is still hot with remaining stock on high heat. Let reduce by one half.
4. Flash cook sweet potatoes on high heat with a tablespoon of butter to glaze and add chopped chives and minced orange zest.
5. Serve pork chops slightly placed on top of sweet potatoes with a few sprigs of orange zest and jus all around.
Amy, I just finished watching your BBQ Scallops video and it was such a treat to watch! You're so bright and bubbly and you make cooking fun (I'm totally culinary challenged). I can't WAIT to employ some of these recipes in France...
By the way, are you reading Eggs and Mouillettes? Perhaps that's a blog you might enjoy, too.
Posted by: Mlle Smith | June 04, 2007 at 10:54 PM
I get my sweet potatoes at the Indian grocery on Passage Brady (10ème arr.). You can probably find them year round in any African market also.
Posted by: Ben | June 05, 2007 at 01:48 AM
Hi !
Mrs Glaze should really get out of the house/work more. (grin)
There are sweet potatoes all over Paris and the banlieue. As Ben says, the African markets have them. Amerloque has been purchasing sweet potatoes (sometimes called "yams", but one must check to see that these are indeed real "sweet potatoes") for over three decades at DOM/TOM groceries, where there are usually stacks and bags of them ...
Best,
L'Amerloque
Posted by: L'Amerloque | June 05, 2007 at 07:20 AM
I've seen sweet potatoes many times at Inno and recently at the organic supermarket in Boulogne (near Bois de Boulogne). So they are probably in season at the moment.
Posted by: Andrea | June 05, 2007 at 07:22 AM
I always thought sweet potatoes had a fall/winter season, but they require warm temperatures to grow, don't they?
Maybe they're one of those vegetables, like regular potatoes, that are durable enough to taste pretty good no matter what time of year it is and how far they had to travel, so they're always available and people end up eating a lot of them in the winter when there's fewer options produce-wise.
I'm usually uptight about when I have my vegetables (i.e. no zucchini in the winter!!) but I'm not opposed to eating a sweet potato in the summer.
Posted by: Caroline | June 05, 2007 at 10:38 AM
All I know is that I've never seen sweet potatoes on the menu in Paris. Crazy, huh? They're so good!
Posted by: Ms. Glaze | June 05, 2007 at 11:08 AM
Why haven't you gotten your own cooking show, yet? Maybe all your readers should inundate the Food Network with requests for you.
Posted by: Bob | June 05, 2007 at 12:08 PM
Sign me up Bob! I have tons of cooking show ideas that I'm certain will be more interesting/entertaining than watching Emril over season everything. I love Alton Brown though, he's my fav, what a cutie! (sigh).
I just need some one to film...
Posted by: Ms. Glaze | June 05, 2007 at 01:40 PM
You probably already do this, but roast the sweet potatoes, cool, then peel and dice and add to green salads. And yams work perfectly well for this also. I've been dressing with fruit vinaigrettes, which perfectly complement the sweet potatoes. If desired, add some "spice" to the sweet potatoes while roasting - perhaps just a dash of cayenne.
Posted by: SAS | June 05, 2007 at 02:42 PM
You've done it yet again.
Thanks!
Gouche aside: I watched "Hell's Kitchen" last night and had a wonderful vision of your cleaning Gordon Ramsey's clock as you said, "Yes, Chef."
Posted by: Lianne | June 05, 2007 at 04:57 PM
HELP! HELP! Is there anything one can use in place of lemon zest? I mean something that will give the same lemon flavor!?
Posted by: Bob | June 06, 2007 at 01:56 PM
Cute story!
Posted by: Bea at La Tartine Gourmande | June 06, 2007 at 07:32 PM
MMm, I love sweet potato. I buy mine in Chinatown here! I baked some the other day with olive oil, rosemary and Greek lemon chicken. Divine. I love your recipes and hope life is well in Paris. I will be stopping through near the end of August, will you be about?
Posted by: Gillian | June 06, 2007 at 08:44 PM
June 7, 2007
Hi !
//All I know is that I've never seen sweet potatoes on the menu in Paris. Crazy, huh? They're so good!//
(grin) That's what Amerloque felt about yellow sweet corn years ago.
On looking into it, he found that corn was considered fit for animal but not human consumption in France.
One still shouldn't serve sweet corn or corn on the cob at the French diinner table. It simply isn't done (and will be consiered gauche by quite a swatch of the population).
Perhaps it's the same thing for sweet potatoes ?
Ancestral tradition takes a lot of time to die. (grin)
Best,
L'Amerloque
Posted by: L'Amerloque | June 07, 2007 at 04:03 AM
June 7, 2007
Hi !
//All I know is that I've never seen sweet potatoes on the menu in Paris. Crazy, huh? They're so good!//
(grin) That's what Amerloque felt about yellow sweet corn years ago.
On looking into it, he found that corn was considered fit for animal but not human consumption in France.
One still shouldn't serve sweet corn or corn on the cob at the French diinner table. It simply isn't done (and will be consiered gauche by quite a swatch of the population).
Perhaps it's the same thing for sweet potatoes ?
Ancestral tradition takes a lot of time to die. (grin)
Best,
L'Amerloque
Posted by: L'Amerloque | June 07, 2007 at 04:03 AM
I made the pork chop + sweet potato recipe yesterday (with think Niman Ranch chops) and everyone loved it. The Mittelrhein Riesling (Ratzenberger) went very well with the spiciness of the gingered potatoes. Thanks for the recipe.
Posted by: Thor Thorson | June 07, 2007 at 06:29 AM
Amerloque – Too funny! So true about corn in france. I found some in my nearby farmer's market shopping on my lunch break with some chef friends and they couldn't believe that I was actually going eat it raw in a salad! They thought that was the funniest thing alive.
They are convinced I am vegetable crazy because I'm Californian. Maybe I am. Also, it looks like my work permit is almost finished so I will be back cooking in September after the summer break – you're right, I do need a job!!!
Bob – What are you working on? This recipe or something else because there's only orange zest in this recipe. You could always try lime zest or maybe buddha's hand if you happened to have one available. Sounds like you're in the middle of the recipe whatever it is, and I'm responding too late!
Gillian – I will be sailing in Croatia for half of August but I hope I get a chance to see you. When exactly are you coming? Thinking of moving back?
Lianne – I have yet to see that show with Gordon Ramsey and everyone keeps telling me about it. I realy want to check it out!!!
SAS – Great suggestion! Thanks, I'll have to give that a go. I just bought two yams today.
Bea – Long time no see! I hope things are wel for you? Your blog is always an inspiration.
Andrea – I think you're right, I just went into the Monoprix today and there were two huge baskets full of sweet potatoes and yams
Caroline – Yes, I agree. Normally I insist on seasonal veggies too. But sometimes I get these weird cravings. Like roasted root veggies in the middle of summer.
Ben – I love the 10th and I hardly ever visit. Such a cool area with so many great restaurants and shops. I'll have to make an excuse to check it out soon.
Mlle Smith – Hope things are going well for you!?!?! I love your blog..
Thor – So glad the recipe worked for you. Did you say Niman Ranch? I'm salivating already. I love Riesling, it's so versatile, I should have thought of that to match. Instead I poured a Chambolle Musigny, but I think your suggestion would have been much better...oh well, next time...
Posted by: Ms. Glaze | June 07, 2007 at 08:25 AM
No, I wasn't in the middle of a recipe, but I make a lot of things that require lemon zest and I was hoping there was something that would provide the same flavor without having to destroy an entire fruit (zested lemons don't save very well).
Thanks.
Posted by: Bob | June 07, 2007 at 10:59 AM
No just popping by on my way home from the South of France where I'll be vacationing for two weeks! The mere thought of it all is keeping me alive right now...
Too bad I will miss you, would've loved another cooking lesson or a night of gatastromie on the town!
Posted by: Gillian | June 08, 2007 at 07:53 PM
I just found your site, what a delight!
I was making gnocci last week and I saw a large happy sweet potato! and voila!
Sweet potato gnocci:
1.5 lbs sweet potato
3+ cups AP flour
1 large egg
1/2t fresh ground nutmeg
1/2t salt
The flavor is subtle and sublime, very dependent on pairings -try it. Bu,t you may end up filling your freezer! My boyfriend now prefers it to regular gnocci and he is crazy about gnocci!
-m
Posted by: l.millet | June 10, 2007 at 04:34 AM
Millet – Who doesn't love gnocci!?!?!? Great recipe! Can't wait to try it out. Last year I made bright green gnocci out of fresh petit pois. Very tasty and beautiful in color. Merci bien! Ms. Glaze
Posted by: Ms. Glaze | June 10, 2007 at 03:05 PM
It's amazing
Posted by: MypeexpadeT | August 02, 2008 at 03:49 PM