Best Baked Sweet Potatoes

Name: Best Baked Sweet Potatoes
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 4 small sweet potatoes (8 ounces each), unpeeled, each pricked lightly with fork in 3 places; Salt and pepper

By Annie Petito

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Time

1½ hours

Yield

Serves 4

Ingredients

Ingredient check list

4 small sweet potatoes (8 ounces each), unpeeled, each pricked lightly with fork in 3 places

Salt and pepper

Why This Recipe Works

Producing baked sweet potatoes with creamy, deeply flavorful interiors wasn’t just about cooking the spuds to a particular temperature (200 degrees or so). We discovered that we needed to hold them at that temperature for about an hour, which allowed time for the cell walls to break down, starches to gelatinize, and moisture to evaporate so that flavor concentrated. Because the whole process could have taken about 3 hours of baking time, we jump-started the potatoes by zapping them in the microwave until they hit 200 degrees. Then we transferred them to a 425-degree oven for just an hour to finish cooking. Baking them on a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet allowed air to circulate around the potatoes; the sheet also caught any sugary syrup that inevitably oozed from the potatoes as they cooked.

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Before You Begin

Any variety of orange- or red-skinned, orange-fleshed sweet potato can be used in this recipe, but we highly recommend using Garnet (also sold as Diane). Avoid varieties with tan or purple skin, which are starchier and less sweet than varieties with orange and red skins. When shopping, look for sweet potatoes that are uniform in size and weigh between 8 and 12 ounces (we prefer smaller potatoes). Top potatoes as desired or with one of our two sauces, Garam Masala Yogurt or Garlic and Chive Sour Cream.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Place potatoes on large plate and microwave until potatoes yield to gentle pressure and centers register 200 degrees, 6 to 9 minutes, flipping potatoes every 3 minutes.

Set wire rack in aluminum foil–lined rimmed baking sheet and spray rack with vegetable oil spray. Using tongs, transfer potatoes to prepared rack and bake for 1 hour (exteriors of potatoes will be lightly browned and potatoes will feel very soft when squeezed).

Slit each potato lengthwise; using clean dish towel, hold ends and squeeze slightly to push flesh up and out. Transfer potatoes to serving platter. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.