Rediscovered Recipe! New Orleans Sweet Potato, Corn and Jalapeno Bisque
March 12, 2016
Recovered Recipe from Hurricane Katrina
I recently rediscovered this fabulous recipe tucked away in one of my old cookbooks. As a caterer in the Washington DC metropolitan community, I am constantly on the look out for new and interesting recipes. Will this work for a wedding reception? How about a heavy appetizer cocktail menu? Or will this only work for my own family because it doesn’t translate well to catering? This recipe I cut out of the food section of the Washington Post Newspaper almost EXACTLY 10 years ago on March 22, 2006. www.washingtonpost.com The article spoke of Hurricane Katrina and how many old family recipes are lost during a massive flood on this scale. The Times-Picayune, the local paper, was a resource for recovering some of these recipes. This soup, popular with Times-Picayune readers, came from a chef who cooked at Commander’s Palace among other New Orleans restaurants. It can be made ahead, cooked and refrigerated or frozen. I made it multiple times for a very dear friend who still asks about it. When I rediscovered it today, I sent the recipe by text. “YAYYYYYYY” was the subtle response.
Sweet Potato, Corn and Jalapeno Bisque
(makes about 3 quart, 10-12 servings)
1 Tb peanut oil
1 cup chopped onions
2 large cloves garlic, minced
6 medium sweet potatoes (preferable Jewel or Beauregard) about 5 lb, peeled and cut into cubes
8 cups vegetable or chicken stock
2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 to 2 medium jalapeno chili peppers (to taste) stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
1/4 cup molasses
Kosher salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
pinch ground cinnamon
3 scallions, green parts only, finely chopped for garnish
In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions are translucent, 2-3 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes and stock, increase the heat to medium-high and bring to boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, with bubbles just breaking the surface, about 10 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Remove from heat.
Puree the mixture with an immersion blender or transfer it in batches to a food processor or blender, process until smooth and return it to the pot. Increase the heat to medium and add the corn, jalapeno chili peppers and molasses, stirring to combine. Add salt to taste, the cayenne and black peppers and the cinnamon. When bubbles just begin to break the surface, remove from heat. Serve immediately, garnished with the chopped scallions. For more information at the food section of the Washington Post, go to food@washpost.com
