- 8 medium/large sweet potatoes
- ½ cup butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped
- ½ cup bourbon (something with which you won’t feel guilty cooking, but still be glad to drink)
- About an ounce of turkey or vegetable stock
- ½ to 1 tsp. sea salt
Wednesday: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place whole, unpeeled sweet potatoes out on a foil-lined baking sheet and roast for about an hour, until they are almost (but not quite) done; you should feel a bit of resistance toward the center when testing with a sharp knife. Cool and refrigerate.
Thanksgiving: Remove roasted sweet potatoes from refrigerator and peel (they will peel easily by hand). Cut into wedges roughly 2 inches long and about an inch wide, then place in a mixing bowl.
Heat the butter and brown sugar over medium heat, whisking until the sugar melts completely into the butter; add the stock, and whisk until it is incorporated; then add the bourbon and do the same. (If you are working on a gas stove, make sure to turn the burners off, or move the pan away from the stove, when you pour the bourbon into the mixture to avoid flare up). Return to stove and reduce, stirring, for about 5 minutes, then add thyme and salt.
Pour the mixture over the sweet potato wedges; toss until coated, and then transfer to a casserole dish that will fit them. Cover and roast at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Remove and rest for 20-30 minutes, uncover and toss gently with a serving spoon or spatula, and return to the hot oven for another 10 minutes, uncovered. (I do this during the last 10 minutes of turkey breast cooking, when the oven is at 425 degrees.)
