Jazz Fest Sweet Potato Pone
For some, Jazz Fest can be a religious experience. For locals, it is a yearly pilgrimage, and for myself, Sweet Potato Pone is the holy grail. I am still working on the crunchy, crumbly "crust," but this recipe for the filling is the closest I have come to the real deal. If you are ever in the neighborhood of New Orleans during late April or early May, stop by Jazz Fest and try out the Pone. It will be in the same vendor tent as the Greenbean Artichoke Casserole. Or you could just try mine!
For some, Jazz Fest can be a religious experience. For locals, it is a yearly pilgrimage, and for myself, Sweet Potato Pone is the holy grail. I am still working on the crunchy, crumbly "crust," but this recipe for the filling is the closest I have come to the real deal. If you are ever in the neighborhood of New Orleans during late April or early May, stop by Jazz Fest and try out the Pone. It will be in the same vendor tent as the Greenbean Artichoke Casserole. Or you could just try mine!
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- 2 ea eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup light molasses
- 2 1/2 pounds sweet potato
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar firmly packed
- 1/8 teaspoon cloves
- 1 teaspoon orange zest grated, (do not include the white pith, which is bitter)
- Carbohydrate 55.00041734375 g
- Cholesterol 91.2420833333334 mg
- Fat 9.58957848958333 g
- Fiber 6.02074061904351 g
- Protein 5.3703565625 g
- Saturated Fat 5.50518728125 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (239g)
- Sodium 189.039911458333 mg
- Sugar 48.9796767247065 g
- Trans Fat 0.861504067708331 g
- Calories 323 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Cook the potatoes unpeeled until tender throughout.
- Let cool, Peel and mash the potatoes, then stir in melted butter.
- In a bowl, beat the eggs, add sugar.
- Add milk, vanilla, molasses, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and orange zest.
- Beat until well blended.
- Stir into mashed sweet potatoes, then mix until well blended.
- Place the mixture into a buttered 1-1/2 quart baking dish. Optionally, you may sprinkle the top of the pone with additional brown sugar.
- Cover with foil and bake for 50 minutes; uncover, then bake for 10 minutes.
- Allow the pone to cool completely before serving.
Historical Roots of the Pone
Traditional sweet potato pone differs fundamentally from standard casseroles by relying on grated or thoroughly mashed tubers bound with eggs and molasses rather than heavy flour doughs. Culinary historians trace the nomenclature back to indigenous American preparations of cornmeal cakes, which settlers eventually adapted to root vegetables. Sweet potatoes provide natural starches that thicken the mixture during baking without requiring auxiliary binding agents. Grating orange zest directly into the batter introduces aromatic oils that cut through the dense sweetness of the molasses and brown sugar. Crucially, avoid grating the bitter white pith beneath the skin when harvesting the zest.Freezing and Reheating Behavior
Baking dishes containing high-sugar vegetable purees freeze exceptionally well due to the protective density of the starch and fat matrices. Wrap unbaked or fully baked pone tightly in multiple layers of plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn for up to two months. Thaw frozen portions completely in the refrigerator overnight before reheating. Reheat covered at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until warmed through, removing the foil during the final ten minutes to reestablish surface texture.Pairing and Presentation
Rich root vegetable dishes pair effectively with heavily spiced, protein-heavy mains that balance the residual sugars of the side. Roasted pork loin or smoked ham provides a salty contrast to the spiced molasses profile of the sweet potatoes. Allow the baked dish to cool completely to room temperature before slicing, as the starch molecules require time to set fully for clean portions.
