Roasted yams for all seasons
Gjelina is a restaurant in Venice, California, that serves some of the most delicious food in Los Angeles. I’ve dined on their salads, pizzas and pasta. I adapted their yam dish here, which is spectacular in its simplicity and flavor.
There are two sweet potato varieties. One type, known as a Hannah sweet potato, has a light brown-yellow skin and pale flesh interior that is less sweet and much drier than its yam cousin. The moist sweet potato variety, a reddish-brown color, is often labeled a yam.
You can also find sweet purple potatoes that work beautifully in this recipe. Make
Makes: 4 to 6 servings as a side dish
cup Greek-style yogurt
Juice of 2 limes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 medium to large yams (moist sweet potato variety)
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon espelette pepper or crushed red pepper flakes
2 green onions (white and green parts), sliced thinly on the bias
Flaky sea salt, for garnish
1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. sure to use moist sweet potatoes for this recipe.
I love serving and eating yams yearround. Easy to put together, this dish goes particularly well with simple protein entrees like steak, lamb or poultry.
The yams are first coated in honey, bringing out their inherent sweetness and encouraging a crusty caramelized exterior once they are roasted. The dish is a delightful combination of salty, sweet and spicy. Fresh lime yogurt is drizzled over the roast and finished with green onions and pepper. Gjelina uses French red espelette pepper for this recipe, but the ingredient may be difficult to find. Feel free to substitute crushed red pepper. You’ll still get a spicy, fragrant hit.
2. In a small bowl, combine yogurt with the lime juice and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season with sea salt and pepper. Set aside.
3. Cut the yams lengthwise into eight wedges, about 1 inch in diameter. In a medium bowl, toss yams with the honey, tablespoon espelette pepper and remaining olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat and marinate for 10 minutes.
4. Transfer the yams to a rimmed parchment-lined baking sheet and roast until they are caramelized around the edges and soft when pierced at the thickest part with a knife, 25 to 35 minutes.
5. Transfer to a serving platter, drizzle yogurt over the dish and garnish with the green onions and remaining espelette pepper. Season with flaky sea salt. Serve warm.