Given the popularity of crème brûlée, this luscious side dish — with its not-too-sweet custard and crunchy caramelized sugar — is sure to be a hit. If you're making an entire menu in a single oven, you'll need to make the brûlée ahead and reheat it while the turkey stands (see cooks' note, below).
•Sweet potatoes can be baked 3 days ahead and chilled, wrapped in foil.
•Sweet-potato custard can be baked (but not topped with sugar) 1 day ahead and cooled completely, then chilled, uncovered (do not cover or condensation will occur). Gently blot any moisture from surface with paper towels, then warm, uncovered, in a 350°F oven 20 to 30 minutes (test center with a wooden pick for warmth) before sprinkling with turbinado sugar.
Recipe information
Total Time
3 1/2 hr (includes cooling)
Yield
Makes 8 to 10 side-dish servings
Ingredients
Special Equipment
Preparation
Step 1
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.
Step 2
Pierce potatoes all over with a fork. Bake in a foil-lined shallow baking pan until tender, about 1 hour. Remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 300°F.
Step 3
When sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel them. Cut warm potatoes into 2-inch pieces and purée in a food processor until smooth.
Step 4
Whisk together yolks, brown sugar, lemon juice, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl until sugar is dissolved. Whisk in sweet-potato purée until combined, then gently stir in milk until combined. Pour mixture into baking dish and bake until custard is just set, about 1 hour. Cool in dish on a rack 1 hour (custard will continue to set as it cools).
Step 5
Just before serving, gently sprinkle enough turbinado sugar over custard to cover evenly (top of custard may be very soft), then move blowtorch flame evenly back and forth just above sugar until sugar is caramelized, about 3 minutes. Let stand until topping is hardened, 3 to 5 minutes.
