Liquid Smoke Sweet Potatoes

2 navel oranges, (about 1¼ pounds)

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted

cup dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon brandy

teaspoon liquid smoke, either hickory- or pecan-smoked

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon ground chipotle powder

½ cup orange juice, preferably freshly squeezed

3 medium (1½-2 pounds) sweet potatoes, preferably of equal size

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Use nonstick cooking oil spray to grease an 8-inch square or round baking dish that is more than 2 inches deep.

Peel the oranges, removing as much pith as possible. Cut each orange in half from top to bottom, placing the halves cut side down on a cutting board. Then cut the halves into half-moon slices about inch thick.

Combine the butter, brown sugar, brandy, liquid smoke, salt, chipotle powder and orange juice in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring until the sugar has dissolved, to form a thin syrup. Turn off the heat.

Peel the potatoes and cut them into -inch-thick rounds, saving the tapered end pieces for filling any holes in the assembled dish. As you layer the dish, you might need to cut some of the potato rounds into halves and quarters to make for nice layers.

Arrange a single layer of sweet potato slices in the bottom of the baking dish. At approximately equal intervals, place 6 of the orange slices atop the potatoes. Spoon some of the melted butter mixture evenly over the oranges, then repeat with more layers of sweet potato slices and oranges, using all of the butter mixture and ending with a coating of the butter mixture on top.

Cover tightly with aluminum foil; bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for 45 minutes or until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. Some parts of the top layer will be blackened; that’s good for both color and flavor.

The top layer might be dry, so gently toss the potatoes and oranges together before serving.

Serves four to six.

Cook’s note: The sauce mixture can be assembled and cooked earlier in the day; keep it in a sealed container at room temperature until ready to use.

@Recipe nutrition:Nutrition values per serving (based on six): 210 calories, 8 g fat (5 g saturated), 33 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 2 g protein. 20mg cholesterol, 200mg sodium.

Adapted by Jim Shahin from the Colgin Liquid Smoke Web site, colgin.com