Yamarita
Small-chops trays at Lagos weddings and naming ceremonies always carry a few golden batons of yamarita beside the puff-puff and samosas, and home cooks make it on Saturday mornings from the end of a tuber of white puna yam. The yam is boiled just tender, coated in seasoned flour and a beaten egg spiked with scotch bonnet and onion, then fried so the outside puffs into a thin, savoury crust over a fluffy, starchy centre. Serve it hot with a dip of fried pepper sauce or ketchup for children. Contains egg and wheat. The mistake to avoid is boiling the yam soft: overcooked sticks break in the batter and soak up oil, so stop when a knife slides in with a little resistance. Chef's tip: let the boiled sticks steam dry on a rack for five minutes before flouring; a dry surface is what makes the egg cling.





