Plain Baked Whole Yams Recipes

ROASTED YAMS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet or shallow baking dish with aluminum foil.
• Arrange slices of potato in the prepared pan so they are overlapping slightly. Season with salt and pepper and then drizzle olive oil over them as evenly as possible.
• Bake in the preheated oven until potatoes are tender and have begun to wrinkle around the edges, about 30 minutes.

BAKED SWEET POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Scrub sweet potatoes and pierce in several places with a sharp knife. Line a baking sheet with foil and place the potatoes on top. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, depending on the size of the potatoes, until thoroughly soft and beginning to ooze. Remove from the heat.
• Place on a plate or in a dish and allow to cool. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate (they will continue to ooze and sweeten). Serve cold (cut in thick slices and remove the skin) or room temperature, or reheat for 20 to 30 minutes in a 350ºF oven.

BAKED SWEET POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees with rack in center position.
• Scrub and pat potatoes dry. Pierce potatoes all over with the tines of a fork and bake in oven, directly on rack, until soft and caramelizing, 1 1/2 hours.
• Slash the tops of potatoes open with the tip of a sharp knife and push ends of each potato toward each other to open. Divide butter, salt, and pepper among potatoes and serve.

PLAIN BAKED WHOLE YAMS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 Farenheit. (Test oven temperature with thermometer to make sure your oven thermostat is correct.) Scrub yams with veggie brush under running cold water. This will abrade the skin enough so you don't have to make slits in them. Place in stainless pan large enough so yams fit comfortably without crowding. It's OK if they touch. Bake for 1 ½ hours. Yams are done when the flesh has pulled away from the skin and a knife goes in very easily. The skin will look somewhat charred, but the yams will not taste burned. Turn off oven and let yams sit in oven until room temperature. If that's not practical let them sit on the counter till cool. Refrigerate in their skins several hours or overnight, till cold, in a covered glass container. Peel, slice, and serve as a side dish, dessert, or snack. They are also good warm but really come into their own when chilled. If serving warm you can add a little orange juice if you like, but when eating them cold they are best on their own.

WHOLE BAKED YAMS WITH SPICY MOLASSES BUTTER

Steps:

• Using electric mixer, beat first 7 ingredients in medium bowl until fluffy. (Can be prepared 1 week ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before using.)
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line large baking sheet with heavy-duty foil. Using small, sharp knife, make one 1/2-inch-deep lengthwise slit in each yam, leaving 1 inch of yam uncut at each end. Place yams on baking sheet. Bake yams until tender, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
• Cut slits across center of each yam. Press ends toward center to expose flesh. Transfer yams to platter. Spoon 1 tablespoon spiced butter into each. Pass remaining spiced butter separately.

OVEN BAKED YAMS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Wash the yams and place them whole in a pot (no need to peel them). Add cold water until the yams are barely covered. It's important to start with cold water so the yams cook evenly. Bring to a boil, add 1 teaspoon of salt and reduce the heat to medium-high (if you cook the yams at a roaring boil, they might fall apart). As soon as the water reaches a boil, cook for about 12 minutes. Test, using a fork; the yams should be slightly tender but still firm (not fully cooked). Remove from the pot. Immediately drain the yams thoroughly and let them cool a little (do not rinse). Once the yams are cool enough to handle and have dried completely, cut them into halves (or thirds, depending on their size).
• Using a paring knife, create a 2''-slit in half, horizontally, making sure you don't cut all the way through the base so all of both parts remain attached. Place a yam in a piece of aluminum foil, insert a thin slice of butter into the incision and drizzle with maple syrup.
• Tightly, wrap the yams individually in aluminum foil (for easy clean-up), making sure to leave an opening towards the tip of the yam, and place all the yams onto a baking pan.
• Bake for 10 minutes at 400°F, then lower the heat to 375°F and continue baking for 20 minutes. Allow to rest a little.
• The yams should be fork-tender.
• Each person unwraps a yam, adds his or her own additional ingredients (salt and pepper, brown sugar, butter or toasted sliced almonds), scrapes the flesh and discards the skin.
• Bon appétit!