Baked Sweet Potato Soup

Points for the recipe
When cooked in the oven, there is inevitably some dryness, but when cooked in a kakugama, the inherent moisture of sweet potatoes creates a gently steamed and baked texture inside the pot, resulting in a delicious outcome. This time, after baking the sweet potatoes, I used the kakugama without washing it, transferring the delightful aroma of baked sweet potatoes to the soup. The soup, with a fragrant and gentle sweetness, stands on its own as a satisfying meal. Without adding anything extra, finishing it with just a hint of salt. The simple and delicious flavor, unique to kakugama cooking, delivers a sensation that resonates with instinct.

Preparation

<Making Sweet Potato Chips for Decoration>
1. Thinly slice the sweet potatoes and sandwich them between paper or similar material to remove excess moisture for about 1 hour.

2. Fry the slices in oil heated to around 170℃ until they are lightly colored. Once they have reached the desired color, remove them and sprinkle with salt on paper. Change the paper if it becomes oil-soaked.

Instructions

1. Heat the kakugama and add butter, sautéing onions until they are nicely colored.

2. Prepare the baked sweet potatoes. Wash the sweet potatoes thoroughly, place them with the remaining moisture in the kakugama, cover, and cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Then reduce the heat to low heat and continue cooking for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Once a skewer easily pierces through the sweet potatoes, remove them, let them cool slightly, peel, and measure 500g.
＊Do not wash the kakugama at this point, as you want to use it without washing to transfer the aroma of baked sweet potatoes to the soup.

3. Combine the sautéed onions from step 1 with the baked sweet potatoes, milk, and fresh cream, and blend using a mixer.

4. Return the mixture to the kakugama using a sieve or similar tool, heat it over low heat, season with salt once it thickens slightly, and ladle it into bowls. Drizzle extra fresh cream on top and garnish with sweet potato chips to finish.