Ube

For the umpteenth time, I'm writing about ube,a variety of yam that's naturally colored purple. The root vegetable is used in the Philippines as an ingredient in sweet snacks and desserts. I have yet to see it added to savory dishes though.

It was a pleasant surprise to find it in the Asian grocery store and even more surprising is the fact that it is grown right here in the USA. I grabbed a few pieces, maybe a little more than half a pound, just to confirm if it is the same Philippine variety. And indeed it is! Same texture and flavor. I'll get more if the store still has them and will pre-cook then freeze them for future use. I can never have too much ube in the freezer.

This is the first time I handled fresh ube. I usually buy frozen, already grated or peeled in chunks, and dry powdered. The fresh ones require more effort to peel than say, yellow yams or sweet potatoes. The intense purple color is right under the peels and I wanted to preserve the color as much as I could.

I steamed the ube until tender, mashed them until creamy, and made ube jam using half-and-half instead of coconut milk and sweetened condensed milk. I also significantly reduced the amount of sugar and made it spreadable like fruit butter so I can enjoy it on toasted sliced challah or brioche.

Ube Jam or Butter
2 cups mashed precooked ube
1½ cups half and half
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon sea salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, thinly sliced

• Place ingredients except butter in a nonstick wok or saucepan. Cook on medium heat while constantly stirring for 30 - 45 minutes or until mixture has thickened and slightly runny. Turn heat off and add in butter. Stir until butter is fully incorporated.
• Transfer into a jar. Let cool completely before putting the lid on. The jam will keep for 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

I once made sweet buns filled with ube jam many years ago, in 2007, I think. They're similar to the Japanese an pan (sweet buns filled with sweet azuki bean paste). Next time I bake croissants I'll fill some with ube jam in place of chocolate batons. Ooh, I'm liking the sound of that already.