← Nouns Cooking · Japanese

Ingredients

• 500 g Japanese sweet potatoes (satsumaimo) or yellow-fleshed sweet potatoes
• 1 jar of kuri kanroni (about 10 chestnuts), plus its syrup
• 80 g Sugar
• 4 tbsp syrup from the chestnut jar
• 1 tbsp Mirin
• 1 pinch Salt

Method

1. Peel the sweet potatoes thickly, cutting away the fibrous layer under the skin so only the bright yellow flesh remains. Cut into 2 cm rounds and soak in water for 10 min, changing the water once.
2. Put the potatoes in a pan with fresh cold water, bring to the boil and simmer for 15 min until completely soft. Drain well.
3. While still hot, mash them and push them through a fine sieve for the silkiest texture.
4. Return the purée to the pan with the sugar, chestnut syrup, mirin and salt. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a spatula, for 8–10 min until glossy and thick enough to hold soft peaks. It firms more as it cools.
5. Fold in the chestnuts (halve any large ones) and warm through for 1 minute.
6. Cool to room temperature and serve in small mounds. It keeps for 4–5 days in the fridge.

Tips

• For a deeper golden colour, simmer the potatoes with a crushed dried gardenia pod tied in a tea bag.
• Leftovers spread on toast or swirled into yoghurt are excellent.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Just One Cookbook Chopstick Chronicles Japanese Cooking 101