Ingredients
Method
Boil the Sweet Potatoes
- Place 900g cubed sweet potatoes in a large pot (4–5L) and cover with cold water. Add a pinch of salt, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium and simmer 15–20 minutes until completely tender. Test with a fork—cubes should mash easily and the center should not look firm or translucent.
Drain and Steam Dry
- Drain thoroughly and return sweet potatoes to the hot pot. Let sit 2 minutes, shaking the pot occasionally, so steam escapes and excess moisture evaporates; this protects you from watery mash. If the potatoes look glossy-wet, extend by 1 minute before mashing.
Mash with Butter and Milk
- Add 45g butter to the hot sweet potatoes and mash until mostly smooth. Warm the 60ml milk (if it’s not already warm) and add gradually while mashing to reach a creamy consistency; stop as soon as it’s smooth enough—over-mashing can make the texture gummy. If you prefer extra smooth, mash first, then fold in milk with a spatula rather than aggressively mashing once liquid is added.
Season and Serve
- Stir in 5g salt, 2g black pepper, and 2g cinnamon, then taste and adjust. Serve immediately while hot; if the mash thickens as it sits, loosen with a small splash of warm milk and mix gently. Optional: top with a little extra butter from the listed butter amount if you reserved some.
Notes
Sweet potatoes carry more moisture than russets, so steam-drying matters even more here. If you skip it, you’ll need less milk to keep the mash from turning loose—then it tastes sweet but watery. Two minutes in the hot pot keeps the flavor concentrated.
Add butter before milk. Butter coats the mash and improves texture so the milk integrates smoothly. Once milk goes in, keep mixing gentle to avoid a gluey finish.
Cinnamon should read “warm,” not “dessert.” If the mash is serving as a neutral base, reduce cinnamon slightly and rely on pepper for balance. Taste at the end—sweet potatoes vary in sweetness.
Storage: refrigerate up to 3 days. Reheat on low heat with a splash of milk, stirring slowly until creamy; microwaving is fine if you stir every 30–45 seconds and add a touch of milk to prevent dry edges.