Sweet Potato Casserole - Bataattilaatikko

[I just love Christmas and its preparations, the festivity and the feel of waiting. How early do you begin to plan your Christmas menu? This post is a part of a series which present my additions to the traditions of Christmas table: New but firm Christmas table favorites.].  

Christmas food in Finland consists mostly of casseroles (and fish and ham, of course). The traditional ones are carrot casserole, rutabaga/swede casserole and malted potato casserole (and liver casserole). Nowadays sweet potato casserole has also gotten very popular. I've adapted my recipe from a recipe of a rutabaga casserole; I just swapped sweet potatoes for rutabaga. It's so yummy, I think I could eat the whole casserole for lunch :D

Sweet Potato Casserole

800 g - 1 kg sweet potatoes
salt
1 egg
100 ml heavy cream
3-4 Tbsp (appr. 50 ml) bread crumbs
2 Tbsp dark syrup
nutmeg
butter
bread crumbs

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into chunks. Boil them in scarce water seasoned with salt. Once done, strain them, preserving the cooking liquid. Mash the sweet potatoes. Let the bread crumbs soften in cream. Add them to the mash with the egg and nutmeg. Add cooking liquid if too thick. Season with salt. Pour to a casserole dish, decorate the surface with a spoon/fork, finish he surface with bread crumbs and butter knobs. Bake in 200 C for 45-60 minutes.

You can make the casserole beforehand: you can just freeze it. Remember to take it to defrost early enough, as it takes quite long. Microwave is the best place to reheat it (in the oven it takes almost as long as to cook it).

Bataattilaatikko

800 g - 1 kg bataatteja
suolaa
1 muna
1 dl kermaa
3-4 rkl (n. 0,5 dl) korppujauhoja
2 rkl tummaa siirappia
muskottipähkinää
korppujauhoja
voita


Kuori bataatit ja leikkaa ne isohkoiksi paloiksi. Keitä kypsiksi suolalla maustetussa vähässä vedessä.Laita korppujauhot turpoamaan kermaan.

Kun bataatit ovat kypsiä, kaada keitinvesi talteen. Soseuta bataatit ja sekoita soseeseen korppujauhokerma, muna ja muskottipähkinä. Lisää tarvittaessa keitinvettä, jos massa on liian paksua. Tarkista suola. Kaada uunivuokaan ja koristele pintä kuvioimalla haarukalla/lusikalla. Ripottele päälle korppujauhoa ja lisää vielä muutama voinokare. Kypsennä 200 asteessa noin 45-60 minuuttia.

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