September 6, 2012

Spicy stars

Do you ever wonder why we name certain food items that have nothing to do with their physical composition or appearance? Take, for instance a hot dog. There is of course no actual dog meat inside and the product does not necessarily have to be eaten hot. What about French fries or French toast or Rocky Mountain oysters? There is nothing “French” about the either the potatoes or the bread, and Rocky Mountain oysters are, well, let’s just say they’re neither from the Rocky Mountains nor related to oysters in any way. Why do food descriptions have to be so inconspicuous? Lucky for us, there are some foods that don’t conceal their identity with their name.
Star anise is one of these few foods that is ever so kindly self-descriptive. It is essentially a star-shaped spice that tastes of sweet licorice. How much more expressive can you get with two words? The spice is a beautiful rendition of nature, each point in the star-shaped pod filled with an aromatic seed, sweet and pine-like, but balanced by pungent accents of licorice. Spicy warmth at its finest.

Star anise is a common ingredient used in Eastern Chinese, Vietnamese, and Indian cuisines and is a major flavor component in Chinese five spice, a spice blend of star anise, cinnamon, fennel seeds, Sichuan peppercorns, and cloves. It can also be found in various blends of Chai tea. When baking, the spice is best used when combined with other warm spices, like cloves, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, and mace, especially when baking. Because star anise is extremely potent, only a scant amount is needed to enhance a dish, and pairs well with naturally sweet foods, like sweet potatoes and butternut squash.

On Thanksgiving two years ago, I decided to deviate from our standard sweet potato casserole recipe and prepare the Bourbon sweet potato and apple casserole with a pecan crust that I saw in the November 2010 issue of my Fine Cooking magazine. The cream is steeped with whole star anise pods before being blended with the sweet potatoes and takes the casserole to a whole other dimension. You might just want to try making it for this year’s turkey feast.

Bourbon Sweet Potato and Apple Casserole with a Pecan Crust

by Susie Middleton

Serves 8
Click here to find out more!

3 to 3-1/4 lb. sweet potatoes (about 3 large) 
2 oz. (4 Tbs.) unsalted butter; more for the pan 
4 oz. toasted and very finely chopped pecans (1 cup) 
1-1/3 cups fresh breadcrumbs 
2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh parsley 
Kosher salt 
1 cup heavy cream 
Eight 1/4-inch-thick slices fresh ginger, unpeeled and crushed 
2 whole star anise 
One 2- to 3-inch cinnamon stick 
2 Tbs. plus 2 tsp. bourbon 
1-1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract 
1-3/4 lb. Granny Smith apples (about 3 large), peeled, quartered, cored, and thinly sliced 
Bake the sweet potatoesPosition a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Prick the sweet potatoes all over with a fork and bake them on the sheet until completely tender when pierced with a fork, 55 to 60 minutes. Let rest until cool enough to handle. Meanwhile, if not working ahead, reduce the oven temperature to 375°F.
Discard the skins and put the flesh in a medium mixing bowl. With a potato masher, work the sweet potatoes until they’re well mashed (they don’t have to be perfectly smooth).
Make the crumb toppingMelt 2 Tbs. of the butter and combine with the pecans, breadcrumbs, parsley, and two big pinches of salt in a small bowl.
Infuse the creamCombine the heavy cream, ginger, star anise, and cinnamon stick in a small saucepan. Bring to a full boil (watch carefully so that it doesn’t boil over) and remove from the heat immediately. Let steep for 15 to 20 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve into a liquid measuring cup, pressing down on the solids with a spatula to extract all of the liquid. Stir in 2 Tbs. of the bourbon, the vanilla extract, and 1/4 tsp. salt.
Cook the applesIn a 12-inch nonstick skillet, melt the remaining 2 Tbs. butter over medium-high heat. Add the apples, season with 1/4 tsp. salt, and toss well. Raise the heat to high and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and lightly browned, 8 to 9 minutes. Lower the heat if the apples are getting too dark, but not so much that they soften without browning.
Turn off the heat, carefully add the remaining 2 tsp. bourbon and stir until it evaporates, a few seconds. Pour in 1/3 cup of the infused cream and stir until the apples have absorbed most of it, a few more seconds. Set the pan aside and let the apples cool for about 15 minutes, turning them occasionally to release steam.
Assemble the casseroleButter a shallow 3-quart baking dish (9×13-inch works well). Add the remaining cream to the mashed sweet potatoes and mix thoroughly. Season to taste with salt. Arrange the apples across the bottom of the baking dish. Spread the sweet potato mixture over the apples in an even layer. Top with the pecan-crumb mixture.
Bake the casserole at 375°F until the crumb topping is dark brown (it will be browner around the edges) and the casserole is heated through, about 25 minutes.

make ahead tips

You can bake and mash the sweet potatoes and make the crumb topping a day ahead (cover both and refrigerate). Bring the potatoes and crumb topping to room temperature before assembling the dish. You can also assemble and refrigerate for up to 8 hours before baking. Return to room temperature before baking.


Filed Under: A-Z food education