Chestnut and Sweet Potato Yokan
- 400 grams Sweet potato, peeled
- 20 grams Sugar
- 1 pinch Salt
- 80 grams Sweetened chestnuts, shelled (See recipe below. Store bought is fine)
- 2 grams Kanten powder
- 100 ml Milk
- 50 ml Syrup from the sweetened chestnuts
- 80 grams Chestnuts, shelled and skinned
- 120 ml Water
- 40 grams Sugar
- 1 pinch Salt
- 1 tsp Mirin
- Peel the sweet potatoes, slice into 1-1.5 cm half moons, then soak in water for about 10 minutes.
- Drain the sweet potatoes (they can be wet), put in a heat-resistant dish, cover loosely in plastic wrap, then microwave for 6-7 minutes at 600W.
- The sweet potatoes are done when a skewer pierced into the center comes out clean.
- Pass the sweet potatoes through a sieve to puree.
- This step is tedious, but essential to the taste of this dish, so persevere!
- Roughly chop chestnuts into 5 mm cubes.
- Heat milk, the syrup from the chestnuts, and kanten in a pan, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 2 minutes while stirring.
- Dissolve the kanten powder while simmering.
- Add sugar and salt and mix well until they have dissolved.
- Remove from heat, add pureed sweet potato, then knead together.
- Fold in the chopped chestnuts, fill a mold with the mixture, wrap in plastic wrap, then press with a flat object, as if you were making pressed sushi.
- When it cools down, chill it in the refrigerator.
- After 2 or 3 hours, after it is well-chilled and set, remove from the mold, cut into desired sizes, then serve.
- To make the sweet chestnuts: Soak shelled and skinned chestnuts in water.
- Put in a sauce pan, add water, sugar, and salt, then heat.
- Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes on low heat.
- Add mirin and simmer for 5 more minutes (without a lid) and allow to cool in the pan.
- I used a 4.5 cm by 34 cm half moon mold.
- For molds without removable bottoms, I recommend lining the mold with plastic wrap.
- They also turn out great pressed in a rose-shaped silicon mold!
- If you have silicon molds, give it a try.
sweet potato, sugar, salt, chestnuts, kanten powder, milk, syrup, chestnuts, water, sugar, salt, mirin
Taken from cookpad.com/us/recipes/169963-chestnut-and-sweet-potato-yokan (may not work)