Add Rich Flavors To Mashed Sweet Potatoes With A Splash Of Bourbon

We've been playing around with forms of mashed sweet potatoes for over 200 years, enhancing them in different ways with butter, cream, sugar, honey, milk, molasses, egg whites, rose water  (yep), and, of course, alcohol. In the 18th century, adding wine to sweet potato pudding was all the rage. It was most likely Madeira wine, a popular aperitif that could survive the trip to the then newly formed United States. Madeira is fortified with brandy, giving it caramelized flavors with nutty and floral tones and making it a perfect match for sweet potatoes. Those are some of the same flavors in bourbon, the spirit that gives mashed sweet potatoes a decadent twist. That's because the alcohol in the bourbon binds to the fat and water molecules, and this enhances flavor. 

It's really just as easy as combining a few tablespoons (or more) of bourbon to your favorite mashed sweet potato recipe. While it does matter when you add the butter and the cream, that's not the case for the bourbon. There's a bit of science as to why you should add butter and cream separately to mashed potatoes, but the bourbon can go in anytime after you've mashed them. If your goal is to retain the flavor of the bourbon but lose the alcohol, you'll need to cook the bourbon down for about three hours. Contrary to popular belief, alcohol does not cook out of food very quickly. That's not a bad thing, especially when it comes to adding just a bit of bourbon's robust flavor to a big batch of sweet mashers. 

It's a no-brainer to add bourbon to our sweet potato recipes around the holidays, but there's no reason why we can't eat bourbon-splashed sweet potatoes all year round. Alongside cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, and butter, it adds the right hint of caramelized honey and smokiness, making it a flawless pairing with the creamy starchiness of the mashed sweet potatoes. It doesn't always have to taste like a dessert, though. 

This dish also hits the spot with a few tablespoons of charred jalapeños or a nice, big pinch of cayenne. That goes for black pepper, too. Don't underestimate its power paired with the sugary parts of the sweet potato and the bourbon. If you're making it spicy, don't skimp on the butter and cream (or milk). It helps cut through the sharpness of the bourbon and the heat of whatever pepper you add. If sweet or spicy isn't hitting the spot for you, consider an unctuous approach. 

For the meat lovers, this easily translates to adding a form of bacon. Whisk a little melted bacon grease and bourbon into these garlic-mashed sweet potatoes to make them silky smooth. It's a simple trick that's consistently out of this world. Or, this sweet potato casserole with bacon deconstructs beautifully with a splash of bourbon for an even deeper level of smoke. Sautéed mushrooms are also a flavorful addition, especially if you add the bourbon to the mushrooms before adding them to the potatoes.