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Sweet Potatoes Anna with Prunes

Wildcard Contest Winner!

Sweet Potatoes Anna with Prunes

Photo by Sarah Shatz

  • This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Sweet Potato Recipe
  • A&M's Testing Notes: This layered sweet potato gratin comes out of the oven caramelized on the edges and glistening with butter. The potatoes in the center are soft, their layers embedded with prunes; the ones...

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  • Chef

    mrsp's Notes:

    This can be finished with a dusting of sugar and a couple of minutes of broiling, for a brulee top. It can also be done using apples and prunes, or just apples.

Serves 6-10

  1. Melt 1/2 pound butter and clarify.

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  2. Heat a cup of port and soak ten pitted prunes until slightly plumped, about 20 minutes. Drain and chop the prunes coarsely.

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  3. Preheat oven to 450.

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  4. Brush clarified butter onto your favorite eight- or nine-inch round baking dish or oven-proof frying pan.

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  5. Put a layer of potatoes, overlapping in circles, in the dish. Brush with clarified butter, and salt and pepper. Put another layer of potatoes and about half the prune pieces. Salt and pepper. Brush with clarified butter. Repeat two more layers, embedding the rest of the prunes at the end and brushing each layer with clarified butter and salt and pepper. You can do four layers of potatoes or six, it's up to you. Pack the potatoes tightly. If there's a little butter left at the end, it's no big deal.

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  6. Bake at 450 for 45-60 minutes until crisp and tender.

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  7. Remove from oven when crisp and tender. After a few minutes, flip onto a serving plate.

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Reply

SO much butter!! What about using olive oil instead?

Img_0391 Reply

So beautiful with the Christmas ham! I soaked the prunes in Madeira (I had on hand.) Fabulous!

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This is a wonderful recipe. I made it over the holidays and everyone loved it.

Profile Reply

I'm making this tomorrow to bring to Thanksgiving... and wondering how folks have served this? Did you use a knife and cut it into pie-shaped wedges? Or can you scoop and serve with a spoon?

Denae_peters Reply

Made this today with raisins instead of prunes and added a pinch of ground nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves. It was incredible!

Denae_peters Reply

Made this today with raisins instead of prunes and added a pinch of ground nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves. It was incredible!

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I saw a recipe in which the directions included, "reverse the direction of your layers to increase stability."
This might address the problem one cook experienced where it just slid apart. I haven't cooked the recipe yet, but that did seem like a good tip to add to the recipe's instructions.

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Sorry about the repeats. This is my first time commenting, and I wasn't patient enough after hitting send.

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I saw a recipe in which the directions included, "reverse the direction of your layers to increase stability."
This might address the problem one cook experienced where it just slid apart. I haven't cooked the recipe yet, but that did seem like a good tip to add to the recipe's instructions.

Reply

I saw a recipe in which the directions included, "reverse the direction of your layers to increase stability."
This might address the problem one cook experienced where it just slid apart. I haven't cooked the recipe yet, but that did seem like a good tip to add to the recipe's instructions.

Reply

I saw a recipe in which the directions included, "reverse the direction of your layers to increase stability."
This might address the problem one cook experienced where it just slid apart. I haven't cooked the recipe yet, but that did seem like a good tip to add to the recipe's instructions.

Reply

I saw a recipe in which the directions included, "reverse the direction of your layers to increase stability."
This might address the problem one cook experienced where it just slid apart. I haven't cooked the recipe yet, but that did seem like a good tip to add to the recipe's instructions.

Reply

I realize from one of the comments that the recipe should say "peeled sweet potatoes." Sorry about that.

Img_0828 Reply

I have been coveting this recipe for over a year now, and finally have the perfect forum for it - my first Thanksgiving dinner! Cannot wait to delight my guests.

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I made this with Purple Japanese sweet potatoes and used raisins instead of prunes. YUM!!!!

Img_2764 Reply

Love at first sight.

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Made this last night. I didn't use enough butter, but it was still good. Also, maybe sweet potatoes are bigger in Texas (ha!), but I only used 4 and it seemed too many. Even with these issues, everyone loved it. I'll definately make this again.

N15803121_31672141_2876 Reply

This was incredible. I wasn't sure how it was going to taste when the top layer was a little crispy on the edges of some of the potato circles, and I couldn't taste any before I took it to my pot luck thanksgiving. When I finally took a bit I actually said "wow!" outloud, surprised at how incredible it turned out. This will be something I use many Christmases/Thanksgiving to come.

ps I used yams (we don't have orange sweet potatoes where I live). I know there are subtle differences, but it still was great!

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I'm not sure what I did wrong! When I "flipped" the final product onto my serving dish, the entire thing just slid apart. It tasted wonderful, the presentation was just "lacking". Any suggestions? Thanks!

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Did you use clarified butter or just melt the butter? One possible reason is the water in melted butter that has not been clarified tends to pull dishes like this a part. Clarifying the butter tends suck most of the water out of it allowing dishes to emulsify better. I haven't tried this recipe yet though so this is just a guess. Sounds amazing though!!!

Ry_400 Reply

Excellent recipe. We made it last night and it will be gracing our Thanksgiving table next week. Many thanks.

Dscn0826 Reply

I made this last night, really fantastic. I often add prunes to a potato gallete a la The French Laundry and this held its own and then some in my book. I soaked the prunes in cognac because I didn't have any port. These will go into the winter rotation thanks for sharing this recipe

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looks great- is this intended as a dessert, or a main course? also, i think the preparation of the potatoes is missing in the recipe.

New_years_kitchen_hlc_only Reply

Why is clarified butter, instead of either simple melted butter, used in this recipe? Is there any reason not to use ghee, which is more flavorful? Also, is this dessert? Thanks! ;o)

Wedding_pictures_162 Reply

I just made it with melted (not clarified) butter. It's wonderful.

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I love sweet potatoes. I love prunes. What could be better than this? I have been cooking lots with sweet potatoes and curries, this will be a great turn in tastes.

Maria_teresa_jorge_colour Reply

What an amazing combination, sweet potatoes and prunes, how delicious! Congratulations, I am really happy you got the prize.

Steve_dunn02 Reply

This looks like a terrific dish, congratulations! Funny, but regardless of what I'm cooking, I never seem to have any butter left in the end, I wonder why that is? ;-)

186003_1004761561_1198459_n Reply

What a fabulous twist of originality on a classic. I am definitely trying this! CONGRATULATIONS!

N538322836_1930755_1183 Reply

I'm filing this away for the seder, its like tsimmes but better

Profile Reply

That is my plan too! Though, I might try to audition it at Thanksgiving this year.

Img_1045_2 Reply

Oh my gosh, how did I miss this recipe! I'm soo glad you're the wildcard winner this week. I cannot wait to make this.

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Just had sliced winter squash with prunes at lunch--deelish, but I think this looks even better. Thanks!

Winnie100 Reply

YUM!

Meet our Hotliners:

Ken Oringer

Ken is an award-winning executive chef and owner of seven Boston area restaurants: Clio, Toro, Uni, Coppa, KO Prime, La Verdad and Earth.