These candied sweet potatoes, a mix of sliced Asian sweet potatoes and orange yams, get a buttery glaze before baking and then are brushed with zhong sauce. Zhong sauce is a mix of soy sauce; brown sugar; spices such as Sichuan pepper, fennel, star anise, ginger and cardamom; chile; and garlic. It’s delicious, chile-tinged, molasses-y and umami-laden, inspired by the sauce for dumplings that Jing Gao grew up eating.
If making Gao’s recipe for Zhong Sauce, you will need to prepare it the night before, or up to 3 weeks in advance.
