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This casserole has all the homey appeal of the sweet, crusty, orange-scented, sweet potatoes most of us put on our Thanksgiving tables. That’s why we’ve included them, knowing you’d have great ideas for putting them out. But keep in mind that these are Mexican--robust with chile, tempered with honey, perfumed with herbs and spices.
Vegetables stewed in a rich and robust red chile sauce, either as a taco filling dusted with crumbled aged cheese or as a vegetable main course (customary for fast days on the Church calendar), are deeply rooted in Mexican cuisine. Here is a baked vegetable adobado dish (which works best with starchy tubers), the idea for which came from the volume on celebration foods from the series of Mexican books titled...y la comida se hizo.
Serves 6 to 8 as an accompaniment
To make 2/3 cup Sweet-and-Spicy Ancho Chile Seasoning Paste:
5 garlic cloves, unpeeled
6 medium-to-small (a scant 3 ounces total) dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
1 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, preferably freshly ground Mexican canela
A generous 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, preferably freshly ground
A generous 1/8 teaspoon cloves, preferably freshly ground
1/2 cup chicken broth or water
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3 pounds (about 5 medium) sweet potatoes, unpeeled
1 tablespoon finely chopped orange zest (orange rind only), plus some thinly-slivered zest for garnish
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons honey
Salt, a generous teaspoon
2 tablespoons melted butter or olive oil (optional), plus a little extra for the pan
A few tablespoons chopped cilantro, for garnish
1 or 2 tablespoons Mexican Thick Cream, crème fraîche or sour cream thinned with a little milk, for garnish
1. Making the Sweet-and-Spicy Ancho Chile Seasoning Paste. Roast the unpeeled garlic on an ungreased griddle or heavy skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally, until soft (they’ll blacken in spots), about 15 minutes; cool and peel. While the garlic is roasting, toast the chiles on another side of the griddle or skillet: 1 or 2 at a time, open them flat and press down firmly on the hot surface with a spatula; in a few seconds, when they crackle, even send up a wisp of smoke, flip them and press down to toast the other side. In a small bowl, cover the chiles with hot water and let rehydrate for 30 minutes, stirring regularly to insure even soaking. Drain and discard the water.
Combine the oregano, cinnamon, black pepper and cloves in a food processor or blender, along with the chiles, garlic and broth or water. Process to a smooth puree, scraping and stirring every few seconds. (If the mixture just won’t go through the blender blades, add a little more liquid.) Press through a medium-mesh strainer into a small bowl.
2. Assembling the dish. Slice each of the sweet potatoes into 4 lengthwise wedges. Lightly butter or oil a 13x9-inch baking dish, and lay in the sweet potatoes in a single layer. Combine the chile seasoning paste with the orange zest, orange juice and honey. Taste and season with salt (it should taste salty, since this is the seasoning for the potatoes). Spoon evenly over the sweet potatoes.
3. Baking the potatoes. Turn on the oven to 350 degrees. Drizzle the sweet potatoes with the (optional) butter or oil, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes or until the potatoes are almost fork-tender.
Raise the oven temperature to 425 degrees, uncover the potatoes, baste with the juices and bake until the potatoes are nicely glazed and the sauce reduced to a medium-thickness, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with slivers of orange zest, chopped cilantro and a drizzle of cream if you wish, and it’s ready to serve.
Advance Preparation—The seasoning paste may be made a week or so ahead. The potatoes can be assembled through Step 2 several hours in advance, or they can even be baked and reheated. Garnish right before serving.
Recipe excerpted from Rick Bayless’s Mexican Kitchen: Capturing the vibrant flavors of a world-class cuisine (Scribner).
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