camote

Here in Mexico City, some of the trees are starting to turn and Dia de los Muertos/Halloween themed stuff is everywhere. Wanting something orange to eat, I was excited to see camote, or yam, at my produce stand the other day. It was beautiful with bright purple skin and soil still clinging to it. I wanted it to taste like fall without relying on the typical spices associated with the season. I cut the yam in rounds and cooked it in a pressure cooker with a cup of water, a tablespoon of olive oil, some laurel leaves, allspice berries, and a chile mora. (Bay leaves are called laurel here, I think its a different species.) After removing the yam, the cooking liquid was strained and reduced to make a fragrant laurel-infused broth. Crema, fleur de sal, and the diced chile topped it all. The flavor was very satisfying. The yam was nut-buttery, earthy, and sweet --made even more rich by the olive oil and crema. The broth had a cool laurel taste and slight holiday flavor from the allspice, and the chile mora brought a smokey heat. It was comforting to eat but also a little surprising.

-Kenny