Connect
We Just Discovered The Swiss Army Knife Of Ingredients
You may have sipped hard cider before, but have you ever cooked with it? We hadn’t until this recipe for Cider-Braised Sweet Potatoes came into our lives—and now we’re clearing out a space in our fridge to stock a range of ciders just for cooking (OK, sure, maybe for some sipping, too).
Like wine, hard cider brings complexity and depth to dishes, adding a nuanced edge that makes the recipe just that much better. And because cider comes in such a wide range of flavors and styles, from sweet to tart to spiced, it’s a chef’s dream, just begging for experimentation.
So how do you choose which type of cider to pair with which recipe? “Think about what you want your cider to add to the overall dish, such as adding tartness by selecting cider made with crab apples or citrus fruits, or looking for ciders that are flavored with botanicals such as cardamom or ginger,” says Emily Ritchie, Executive Director of the Northwest Cider Association. “I love this recipe because it is flexible based on what you can find in your local area,” she says.
Cider-Braised Sweet Potatoes
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. orange-flesh sweet potatoes
- ¼ cup butter or olive oil
- 3 tsp. fresh thyme
- ½ tsp. fresh ground black pepper
- ½ tsp. salt, plus extra to sprinkle on at the end
- ¾ cup hard apple cider (see above for tips on how to choose a cider)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
- Peel sweet potatoes and slice horizontally into ½-inch thick matchsticks, up to 4 inches long.
- Melt butter and pour over potatoes. Sprinkle the potatoes with 2 tsp. thyme, pepper, and salt, and toss making sure to coat them thoroughly.
- Using a rubber spatula, put potatoes on a rimmed cookie sheet, scraping sides of the bowl to get all butter and seasonings.
- Pour cider over potatoes, and then cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes or until crisp tender. Remove foil and cook uncovered for another 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle with final 1 tsp. thyme and finishing salt, and enjoy!
Whether you’re planning to sip or sauté, the Northwest Cider Club makes it easy to broaden your cider horizons. The Discover Gift Boxes feature collections of hand-picked ciders, and the NW Cider Club Subscription delivers curated, hard-to-find ciders right to your doorstep four times a year. All purchases go back to the Portland-based nonprofit Northwest Cider Association, and their work to support the entire Pacific Northwest cider industry.
You may have sipped hard cider before, but have you ever cooked with it? We hadn’t until this recipe for Cider-Braised Sweet Potatoes came into our lives—and now we’re clearing out a space in our fridge to stock a range of ciders just for cooking (OK, sure, maybe for some sipping, too).
Like wine, hard cider brings complexity and depth to dishes, adding a nuanced edge that makes the recipe just that much better. And because cider comes in such a wide range of flavors and styles, from sweet to tart to spiced, it’s a chef’s dream, just begging for experimentation.
So how do you choose which type of cider to pair with which recipe? “Think about what you want your cider to add to the overall dish, such as adding tartness by selecting cider made with crab apples or citrus fruits, or looking for ciders that are flavored with botanicals such as cardamom or ginger,” says Emily Ritchie, Executive Director of the Northwest Cider Association. “I love this recipe because it is flexible based on what you can find in your local area,” she says.
Cider-Braised Sweet Potatoes
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. orange-flesh sweet potatoes
- ¼ cup butter or olive oil
- 3 tsp. fresh thyme
- ½ tsp. fresh ground black pepper
- ½ tsp. salt, plus extra to sprinkle on at the end
- ¾ cup hard apple cider (see above for tips on how to choose a cider)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
- Peel sweet potatoes and slice horizontally into ½-inch thick matchsticks, up to 4 inches long.
- Melt butter and pour over potatoes. Sprinkle the potatoes with 2 tsp. thyme, pepper, and salt, and toss making sure to coat them thoroughly.
- Using a rubber spatula, put potatoes on a rimmed cookie sheet, scraping sides of the bowl to get all butter and seasonings.
- Pour cider over potatoes, and then cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes or until crisp tender. Remove foil and cook uncovered for another 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle with final 1 tsp. thyme and finishing salt, and enjoy!
Whether you’re planning to sip or sauté, the Northwest Cider Club makes it easy to broaden your cider horizons. The Discover Gift Boxes feature collections of hand-picked ciders, and the NW Cider Club Subscription delivers curated, hard-to-find ciders right to your doorstep four times a year. All purchases go back to the Portland-based nonprofit Northwest Cider Association, and their work to support the entire Pacific Northwest cider industry.
