While the turkey is the centerpiece of a Thanksgiving meal it is the sides, such as sweet potatoes, that provide the variety of tastes we remember each year.

AP / Larry Crowe

How incredibly easy to bake sweet potatoes, put them in a food processor and then finish them off with a crunchy pecan topping. The topping includes bacon and is laced with Chambord, a black raspberry liqueur, to add a layer of sweet and salty. The recipe for Bacon and Pecan Topped Sweet Potatoes comes from chef Lee Anne Wong of The French Culinary Institute in New York City.

Substitute black raspberry syrup if you want to cook without alcohol.

CHAMBORD PECAN TOPPING1

CHAMBORD PECAN TOPPING

1/2 cup bacon, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1/4 cup Chambord liqueur (see note)

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup pecan halves

1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

In a sauté pan, cook the bacon over medium heat until slightly crisp, about 5 minutes. Deglaze the pan with Chambord and red wine vinegar. Cook until the liquid has reduced by half. Remove from heat. In a food processor, combine butter, pecans, brown sugar, salt, and black pepper. Pulse until the mixture is resembles large crumbs. Add the bacon and liquid from the pan and pulse again until well combined. Use immediately to top the sweet potatoes.

 Note: For those who don’t wish to use liqueur, substitute 1/4 cup black raspberry syrup, or a flavoring syrup such as Monin or Torani.

CHAMBORD, BACON AND PECAN TOPPED SWEET POTATOES1

CHAMBORD, BACON AND PECAN TOPPED SWEET POTATOES

4 1/2 pounds (about 8 medium sized) sweet potatoes

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, diced

1 tablespoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper

Chambord Pecan Topping (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Wrap sweet potatoes individually in aluminum foil. Bake on a sheet tray for 1 hour, or until tender. Remove sweet potatoes from foil, peel and discard skins.

Cut sweet potatoes into large chunks while still hot and add to a food processor. Add butter, salt, and white pepper and puree until smooth.

Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Spoon the puréed sweet potatoes into a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish, spreading evenly. Gently spread the Chambord Pecan topping on top of the sweet potatoes and bake until the top begins to color and firm up, about 30 minutes. Serve warm. Serves 8-10.

gciampa@projo.com