Recipe: Diner Candied Yams

for the vegetarians at the tailgate

The recipe in the Big Food Manual begins:

The dark, orange-fleshed variety of sweet potato commonly known as the yam has been a southern staple since colonial times, and candied yams have enjoyed wide popularity since the late 19^th century—especially at Thanksgiving. Try them alongside roast turkey [see recipes in Poultry section] with mashed potatoes [see recipes in Potatoes … section] and gravy [see recipes in Basics section].—Diane Rossen Worthington, Diner: The Best of Causal American Cooking (1995)

Recipe below

 

DINER CANDIED YAMS

Makes 6 to 8 servings

5 yams or sweet potatoes (about 4 lbs), unpeeled, scrubbed well, wrapped individually in foil, pierced all over with a fork

Preheat oven to 425^o. Place foil-wrapped sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and bake until tender when pierced with a sharp knife, about 1 hour. Reduce oven temperature to 400^o. Unwrap immediately and let cool. Peel and cut crosswise into slices 1 inch thick.

TOPPING

1 C (packed firm) dark brown sugar

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

½ C walnuts or pecans, chopped fine

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice OR ½ tsp ground cinnamon combined with ¼ tsp ground nutmeg and ¼ tsp ground allspice

Combine all ingredients, and mix until coarse and crumbly. Place half the yam slices in a single layer in a buttered 8 inch square dish, sprinkle evenly with half the Topping, layer remaining yam slices on top, and sprinkle with remaining Topping. Place baking dish on baking sheet, and bake until Topping melts and is bubbly, about 15 minutes. Spoon onto warmed plates and serve immediately.