Sweet potatoes may have been cultivated as long as 4,500 years ago—and yet, through the use of modern culinary applications and plating techniques, they can present a brand new experience to your guests. Here are three examples by Chef Jamie Simpson.
At the Bar: Chips and Dip
For a deliciously unexpected flavor, create sweet potato chips and pair them with your favorite dips.
Fine Dining: Sweet Potato Salad
Photo: Yossey Arefi
Surprise and delight guests with a salad that celebrates the sweet potato. We don’t often consider sweet potatoes to be a vegetable to eat raw. During our projects with Louisiana State University, we found several varieties we preferred uncooked, including Covington and Creamsicle. They are sweet, with a lower starch content and smooth cell structure. For inspiration, we looked to Southeast Asia, making the type of sweet, tangy, and umami-rich dressing you might find on a papaya salad. Serve this side dish alongside grilled fish or shrimp or rice noodles.
Country Club Dining: Chocolate Covered Sweet Potato Croquant
This season we’ve been serving sweet potatoes in as many desserts as possible. After all, why not benefit from its flavors in as many applications as possible? This one is filled with a Valrhona chocolate covered croquant of red quinoa and poha—topped with a ganache of dark chocolate and finished with an Italian meringue of parsnip.
More About Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are like colorful jewels freshly harvested from the fields. Regeneratively grown varieties at The Chef’s Garden include:
Each variety comes with uniquely nuanced flavor profiles, hues, and textures. Enjoy choosing exactly the right ones for your creative dishes.
We hope you enjoyed this installment of plating food techniques!