chink out our Test Kitchen ’s best peak on how to misrepresent yam plant , and discover how versatile this nutritious root vegetable can be .
If you ’re in care of the yam for Thanksgiving dinner , you ’re most likely makingsweet potatoesinstead . Yams have a woody , tree - similar exterior ( unlike the reddish - hued skin of sweet Solanum tuberosum ) and are aboriginal to more tropical region like Africa , Central America , and Asia . Not only do actual yam look dissimilar , but they ’re also stiff and not as sweet as the orange - tinted sweet white potato you fuck .
The confusedness began long ago when farm shipper dubbed piano , orange - flesh sweet Irish potato " yams " to differentiate them from firmer - fleshed sweet potatoes , and the name has bond . Today , theU.S. Department of Agriculturealso require yams that are n’t the real affair to be labeled as mellifluous potato . So unless you ’re in an external market store , you ’re likely grabbing sweet white potato vine .
Yams have a dark brown exterior and starchy white flesh. Sweet potatoes have a lighter reddish-brown exterior and usually orange flesh.Credit: Andy Lyons
How to Cook Yams
Whatever you call them , knowing how to falsify yams is essential for any home chef because they ’re delicious in savory and odoriferous dishes . For side dishes , they ’re often boiled or baked ( skin or unpeeled ) . They can be added to soups , stews , and braises . Sometimes , seethe yam plant are mashed to serve up as a side dish aerial or an constituent inquick breadsand pies . Read on for instructions on how to cookyamsin various slipway so you may enjoy them in your favorite formula .
How to Boil Yams
The most coarse stove - top method for how to cook yam is to churn them . you may follow our basic management forboiling honeyed potatoesto make everlasting mashed lulu .
Jake Sternquist
Step 1: Prep the Yams
Washand peel the yam , then cut them into bite - sizing cube .
Step 2: Add to Pan
Choose a saucepan orDutch oventhat will be large enough to hold them without crowd together . Fill the pot with just enough salted water supply to cover the yam .
Step 3: Boil
Bring to a boil and cook , covered , for 20 to 25 minutes , or until cutter . If you could thrust the flesh with a ramification or knife , they ’re ready .
After drain , you ’re ready to utilize your seethe yam in any formula that calls for them squash . part by pick the ripe mashing tool for the job . A potato masher , or anelectric mixerused at gloomy stop number , will produce fluffy , smooth coquet yams . quantify the amount you need for the formula . take down that one medium yam ( 8 oz . ) yields about 1 ⅓ loving cup of peeled , cooked mashed yams .
Test Kitchen Tip : In a pinch , you could use dismiss angelical potatoes for recipes that call for boiled and mashed yams or sweet-smelling potatoes . Simply run out and mash with a white potato masher or electric sociable . Measure the amount call for for your recipe .
Credit:Jake Sternquist
How to Cook Yams in the Oven
watch how to fudge yams in the oven mean you could make a simple and nutritiousside dish for meat loaf , steak , grilled chicken , Pisces , and more . Here ’s how to make baked yam plant whole :
Preheat oven to 425 ° F . chaparral yams thoroughly with a veg copse , then pat dry . Prick the yam with a fork . Bake 40 to 60 minutes , or until tender .
Step 2: Peel
post each baked yam inside akitchen towel . Gently roll to soften the flesh . Cut an ex on the top of each , and press the tegument to labour the human body up . you may serve them with butter , dark-brown sugar , and/or cinnamon .
How to Cook Yams in the Microwave
If you ca n’t hold off an 60 minutes to eat , here ’s how to prepare yam plant in second with this super - quick microwave method . Here ’s how to get your yams on the tabular array ( or recipe - ready ) in moment .
trial Kitchen Tip : One pound of yam equals about two medium yams or 2 ¾ cup of cubed yams .
How to Make Yam or Sweet Potato Fries
For a colorful and nutritious choice to unconstipated Gallic fries , you’re able to well make yam plant Fry in your oven . Here are tips for how to make Fry that will rival your preferred diner ’s recipe . See ourbaked sweet potato friesrecipe for the full instructions .
Step 1: Clean the Yams
Scrub the yam exhaustively with a brush , then pat dry . You canpeel themor leave the skin on .
Step 2: Cut Yams
Use a sharp , thin - blade knife to cut the yam into ¼- to ½-inch - thick strips . Our Test Kitchen Pros urge curve each fry to an even thickness as best you may . Because yams contain more sugar than regular potatoes , they tend to cut quickly and cook unevenly if cut too thin .
Step 3: Add Seasonings
Give those yams a mizzle ofolive oiland cast aside with seasonings ( fresh or dried sage , rosemary , and thyme work peculiarly well with yam ) .
Step 4: Bake
Place the fade on abaking sheetin a single level so they ’ll embrown evenly . Use two baking sheet if things are have too crowded . Bake them until tender , turning once so they ’re equally ready .
Tips for Buying and Storing Yams
yam are available twelvemonth - pear-shaped , but their apex season is wintertime , which means they ’re the perfect addition to all those slow cooker dishes that put up such consoling meals in cold month . When you ’re purchasing , see for small to mass medium yam that are smooth , strong , and detached of soft spots . Store them whole and unpeeled in a cool , dry piazza for up to one week . Donotrefrigerate yam plant , because they ’ll dry out .
Credit:Jake Sternquist
Credit:Jake Sternquist
Credit:Jake Sternquist
Credit:Jake Sternquist
Credit:Jake Sternquist
Credit:Jake Sternquist
