Yams, yams, yams...

[Foodrat]

My MIL just gave me a bag of yams. The only way that I have prepared them was baking with butter and brown sugar. Although I love that version, I'm looking for another way to cook them. Any suggestions?

[greygarious]

Prolonged baking time for both russets/Idahos and sweet potatos/yams (the sweet ones) makes a big difference in flavor. I read about the former in, I think, James Beard. You bake them for at least 2 hours. In the former case, the flesh below the skin will have shrunk away from it a bit, and has a brown, caramelized surface which is delicious. In the case of the sweet varieties, bake until they start leaking a melted caramel (you need to bake them on a lined pan; even unpricked, they will exude sugar which will scorch). Under the skin, they also have a caramelized surface and are very sweet. No syrup or brown sugar necessary. I can't tell you exact temps and times because I put either kind of spud in the oven when I'm using it for other things, and just leave them in until they are very tender.

[gourmet wife]

Bake them with some sugar, cinnamon, coridander, basalmic vinegar, salt. Last time I did this, I used osmanthus vinegar instead and it was so good. It gives a different flavour all together but not overly floral. Yes I realize that's hard to find, I was lucky my mom came across it and got me a bottle.

[eethan]

Friends' opinions have varied, but I like baking yams--wrapped in foil, oven at 400F, done when you can poke with a fork easily--and eating them plain. Putting a little soy sauce on top is good too.

[yimay]

i like to cube them and roast them with chopped bacon and some herbs.

[NYchowcook]

Roast them sliced into wedges w/ chopped chipotles, olive oil, S&P.
Peel, slice and layer w/ sliced apples and pork chops w/ apple cider and braise them. (I'd do that with my sweet potatoes, but I'm consumed with other braising projects this month!)

[MzMaggie]

Mash 2 large cooked yams with 2 T butter, 3/4 t. cumin, 1 T grated lime zest, 1/4 cup lime juice and a couple of dashes of Tabasco. Different and delicious.

[fornaio]

I love them in curry dishes-- red curry with yams, tofu, and veggies...

Also, in the more traditional sense, baked with apples on top is absolutely delicious.

[danna]

Are they yams? or are they sweet potatoes?

I'm going to assume you mean sweet potato. A yam is a starchy, often white tuber common to African, South America and the Carribbean. In recipes, Bon Appetit always writes "sweet potatoes (yams)" , and it's a pet peeve of mine.

The classic southern thing is sweet potato casserole, sometimes misnamed souffle. Bake 'em, remove the flesh, whip in butter, sugar, milk and egg, bake it with a pecan struessel on top.

French Fries
A simple puree, just like mashed potatoes.
Sweet potato salad (like the one w/ "spicy peanut dressing" from Epicurious.
If you like pumkin pie, you might like sweet potato pie...I despise it, but YMMV.

Have fun!

[chickie]

Hmmm... I thought that yams were orange not white, I think that sweet potatos are the white ones.

Either way, I would do a tempura. The sweetness and creamy texture of the yam works very well with the deep fried flavour and crispy batter. A store bought tempura dipping sauce is just fine to round it all out.
chickie

[danna]

Perhaps this link will help-

http://homecooking.about.com/library/...

[greygarious]

IMO, a good Southern sweet potato pie is head and shoulders above a pumpkin or squash pie (which I can take or leave). The consistency is richer although the spices are similar.

I also like adding mashed baked sweet potato/yam to cornbread batter.

[themis]

Slice into thick home fries, toss with olive oil, red curry paste, salt & pepper; roast at 450 for 35-40 min. Use more curry than you think you need, too.

Dice into hash and saute in butter with onion until crisped brown, add diced chipotle. Melt a little gruyere or similar over the top. Chipotle is also nice added to mashed yam, with butter.

You could also try making a daal with lentils and cumin. I've never done that, so I have no idea how, it just sounds tasty.

I would love tog et e big bag of yams. This time of year, I can almost eat them at the side of any meal.