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Jamaican roast yam
Roast yam: yellow yam roasted in the coals, eaten with butter or roast fish
Roast yam stands beside roast fish at the beach shacks of Treasure Beach and at the roadside stalls along the Ocho Rios road, long pieces pulled out of the coals with blackened, smoky skins. Yellow yam roasted this way turns dense, dry and nutty, quite different from boiled, and it is eaten hot with a little coconut oil or butter and a sprinkle of salt. The usual mistake is cutting the yam too short or thin, so it dries out; roast it in thick 20 cm lengths with the skin on. Here it is done in a hot oven, with a flame option for a smoky edge. Chef's tip: wrap the pieces in foil for the first 30 minutes so they steam inside, then unwrap them to char the outside.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ lb yellow yamskin on, scrubbed, cut into 20 cm lengths (or white yam)
- 2 tbsp coconut oilor butter if you are not keeping it vegan
- ½ tsp salt
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 425°F. Wrap each piece of 2 ¼ lb yellow yam tightly in foil and roast directly on the oven rack for 30 minutes.
30 minStep 2: Unwrap the yam and put it back on the rack, or hold it with tongs over a gas flame or barbecue coals, turning, until the skin is charred and blistered in patches.
20 minStep 3: Check doneness by pushing in a skewer: it should go through the thickest part easily. If not, wrap it again and give it 10 more minutes.
5 minStep 4: Scrape off the burnt skin with a knife, cut the yam into thick slices, brush with 2 tbsp coconut oil and sprinkle with ½ tsp salt. Serve hot with roast fish, ackee, callaloo or steamed cabbage.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 250 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 58 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 8 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does jamaican roast yam take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 55 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
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