Two potato purée

I've been thinking a lot recently about the versatility of sweet potatoes (patates douces here in France). I was inspired by a rather surprising dish I enjoyed at a restaurant a few weeks ago - salmon, sweet potatoes and onion baked in cream sauce - and by a healthy chocolate cake recipe I stumbled across that used overripe bananas and sweet potato in place of sugar. With these ideas in mind, I stocked up on sweet potatoes at my last trip to the market and vowed to use them everywhere possible.

So last week while making the French (and American!) classic purée de pommes de terre, I decided to liven things up with some sweet potato. I started with the traditional recipe - boiled white potatoes, cream, butter, salt pepper and nutmeg - but added a baked sweet potato to the mix. The result was delicious, and playfully colorful as well. While I'm a huge fan of garlic mashed potatoes, I don't recommend garlic as a seasoning with sweet potato.

One mashed potato tip I've learned: never, ever use an electric mixer on potatoes; the result will be elastic instead of creamy.

Two potato purée

Serves 4-6

6 potatoes

1/2 cup heavy cream (or milk)

1 pad butter

salt, pepper, nutmeg

1 sweet potato

Peel and rinse the potatoes. Cut them into cubes and boil for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, poke the sweet potato several times with a fork, then place in the microwave on high for 6-7 minutes.

When the potatoes are finished cooking, drain and place them back in the pot. Cut the sweet potato in half and scrape the interior into the pot with the cooked potato. Add the butter and cream; pepper cautiously, add salt and nutmeg generously. Mash thoroughly with a fork or potato masher.

Feel free to adjust butter/cream/seasoning amounts to taste.

Bon appetit!