Lemony Sweet Potatoes
With over half of Japan’s annual crop of sweet potatoes (commonly called Satsuma-Imo) grown in and around the Setouchi, sweet potatoes are a very popular fall and winter food in the region, prepared in myriad ways. Lemony Sweet Potatoes is a quick, easy way to transform this luscious, highly nutritious vegetable into a bright, refreshing dish. One that is a palate cleansing appetizer or side dish instead of being another one of the season’s rich, heavy foods. Adding to the dish’s appeal is the way the seasonings magically work to make the red and golden colors of sweet potatoes pop.
Lemony Sweet Potatoes
Satsuma-Imo no Remon-Ni : さつまいものレモン煮
Serves 4
Main Foods
Sweet Potato, 1, about 1/2 lb. (225 g)
Seasonings
Sake, 2 tablespoons
Sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoons
Honey, 1 1/2 tablespoons
Salt, 1/4 teaspoon
Usukuchi Soy Sauce, 1 teaspoon
Lemon Juice, 2 tablespoons
Directions
Wash the sweet potato well as you’ll be leaving the skin on. It’s full of beneficial nutrients and fiber. Cut off the tough stem ends and then slice the sweet potato into 1/2” (1.3 cm) rounds. Put the slices in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes to remove some of their starchiness. Drain.
Place the slices into a fry pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Mix the sake, sugar, honey, and salt in 1 cup (240 ml) of cold water and pour over the slices. (If necessary, add a bit more water to cover the slices.) Turn the heat on to medium-high, cover, and once the cooking liquid starts to boil, lower the heat to a simmer, and cook for 12 minutes. Add the usukuchi soy sauce and lemon juice and simmer for 2-3 minutes more, checking the tenderness with a thin skewer. They’re done when the skewer can slide through the sweet potato with little resistance.
Let cool down, then transfer the sweet potatoes and all of the liquid to a sealable container and refrigerate. They’ll keep for about 5 days.
Serve
Once the sweet potato slices are well-chilled, take them out of the cooking liquid and serve.
Lemony Sweet Potato slices served as an appetizer alongside grilled fish and pickled konbu seaweed.