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Candied Yams

4.5

(42)

This recipe was created for my ten-year-old friend and cooking student, Evan Chender, who used it for his Thanksgiving feast one year. Fresh ginger really spices up the sweet, meltingly tender yams.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

2 pounds garnet yams or sweet potatoes
3 (2-inch) strips orange zest, white, spongy pith removed
2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons pure olive oil, light sesame oil, or unsalted butter
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons peeled and finely chopped ginger root
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Preheat the oven to 375°F.

    Step 2

    Peel and halve the yams crosswise. Cut each half lengthwise into 4 wedges.

    Step 3

    Place the yams in a baking dish that will hold them in a snug single layer.

    Step 4

    Tuck the orange zest and cinnamon sticks among the yams.

    Step 5

    In a bowl, whisk together the orange juice, maple syrup, oil, lemon juice, ginger, and salt. (Note: if you're using butter, omit it in this step, but dot the assembled casserole with small pieces of it before it goes into the oven.) Pour the mixture over the yams.

    Step 6

    Bake for 1 1/4 hours, basting every 15 minutes, until the yams are tender and glazed and the pan juices are syrupy.

    Step 7

    Remove the orange zest and cinnamon sticks before serving.

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