For twenty-two years, we made annual trips to Barbados, W.I. for my husband’s work related meetings. Barbados, an island located where the Caribbean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean, has beautiful jewel-toned water that you expect to see in the Caribbean. In addition to world-class beaches, Barbados in home to Mt. Gay Rum Distillery, established in 1703. Over the years we traveled to Barbados, we collected several bottles of rum that were given to us as gifts or souvenirs. I don’t drink rum but I do love to cook with it. The baked sweet potato I made for my lunch today was calling out for a special topping. With rum in the cabinet and raisins in the refrigerator, Baked Sweet Potato with Rum Raisin Sauce was born.
Man, oh man. The combination of sweet potato and rum raisin sauce is outstanding. It turned my quiet lunch for one into party central. I swear I could hear steel drums and smell the sea. Ok, all that took place in my imagination. I know, full well, that I was sitting at home, just Belle the Basset and me.
We have wonderful memories of the time we spent on the island of Barbados. Breaking out the bottle of rum is bittersweet. I miss Barbados, but I’m happy in our current phase of life. No more business trips. No more business meetings. No more stressful decisions. Well, we still have to make stressful decisions but they’ve changed their form dramatically. Instead of stressing over profit margins, federal regulations, unmotivated employees and capital investments, we stress about whether we should take it upon ourselves to relocate the critters digging holes under the foundation of our house or should we call a critter control company.
Work life usually offers perks and we’ve been fortunate to reap many benefits. But, the time came, a few years ago, for us to say good-bye to our jobs and hello to a new way of life. We adjusted very well to the changes; critters and all.
Y’all come see us!
Baked Sweet Potato
yield: 4 servings
4 medium sweet potatoes
Wash and scrub sweet potatoes well. Prick the top several times with the tines of a fork.
Wrap in aluminum foil. Place on a baking sheet.
Baked at 350 degrees for one hour or until soft.
Unwrap foil. Split potato open. Gussy is up with Rum Raisin Sauce.
Rum Raisin Sauce
yield: 4 servings
2 tablespoons dark raisins
2 tablespoons rum
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
Place raisins and rum in a small bowl and set aside.
Add butter and brown sugar to a small, non-reactive skillet or saucepan over medium heat.
Stir until butter and sugar melt and mixture starts to bubble slightly.
Remove from heat and add raisin and rum mixture and stir well.
Serve over hot baked sweet potatoes.
Baked Sweet Potato with Rum Raisin Sauce
Ingredients
- Baked Sweet Potato
- yield: 4 servings
- 4 medium sweet potatoes
- Rum Raisin Sauce
- yield: 4 servings
- 2 tablespoons dark raisins
- 2 tablespoons rum
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup brown sugar firmly packed
Instructions
- Baked Sweet Potato
- Wash and scrub sweet potatoes well. Prick the top several times with the tines of a fork.
- Wrap in aluminum foil. Place on a baking sheet.
- Baked at 350 degrees for one hour or until soft.
- Unwrap foil. Split potato open. Gussy is up with Rum Raisin Sauce.
- Rum Raisin Sauce
- Place raisins and rum in a small bowl and set aside.
- Add butter and brown sugar to a small, non-reactive skillet or saucepan over medium heat.
- Stir until butter and sugar melt and mixture starts to bubble slightly.
- Remove from heat and add raisin and rum mixture and stir well.
- Serve over hot baked sweet potatoes.
Sue, a Florida Farm Girl says
Oh, my word, girl!!! I bought sweet potatoes today!! And, not only would that sauce be good on those potatoes? Think about bread pudding!!!!!!
Jackie Garvin says
Sue,
Uh-huh! And think about ice cream, sistah!
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says
What a brilliant Idea, Jackie. I DO drink rum but I’d love to splash it on a soft baked sweet potato too. 🙂
Jackie Garvin says
Maureen,
Bermuda is famous for fish chowder and they give you rum to put in the chowder. It flavors it nicely.
Chris Thomas says
I cook with rum all the time. Occasionally, I even add it to the food.
Seriously though, Mt. Gay is my favorite rum, and this looks like that little ‘something different’ that I was looking for, for the Thanksgiving menu: Though made with a good 151 proof Meyers Rum. I’ll save the Mt. Gay for the Coke or the rocks. Thank you. Have a great Thanksgiving.
God bless.