Gjelina’s Roasted Yams

Name: Gjelina’s Roasted Yams
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: Serves 3-6
Ingredients: 3 large yams; 2 tablespoons honey; 1 tablespoon Espelette pepper, or crushed red-pepper flakes; 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1/2 cup Greek-style yogurt; 4 tablespoons fresh lime juice, approximately 2 limes; 2 scallions, both green and white parts, trimmed and thinly sliced, for garnish

Recipe from ‘‘Gjelina: Cooking From Venice and California’’

Adapted by Sam Sifton

Updated May 22, 2024

Gjelina’s Roasted Yams — Grant Cornett for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Rebecca Bartoshesky.

Total Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Rating: 5(1,262)
Comments: Read comments

These roasted yams are adapted from a recipe that Travis Lett, the chef and an owner of Gjelina in Venice, Calif., published in a 2015 cookbook devoted to the restaurant’s food. They are a marvelous accompaniment to a roast chicken, but they are maybe even better as a platter to accompany a salad of hearty greens, cheese and nuts. What makes them memorable is a technique Lett calls for during the cooking: tossing the tubers in honey before roasting them, which intensifies their caramelizing. The crisp, near-burned sweetness works beautifully against the heat of the pepper and the acidic creaminess of the yogurt you dab onto the dish at the end. It is a simple dish, but it results in fantastic eating. —Sam Sifton

Featured in: A New California Cuisine

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Ingredients

Yield:Serves 3-6

3large yams
2tablespoons honey
1tablespoon Espelette pepper, or crushed red-pepper flakes
3tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½cup Greek-style yogurt
4tablespoons fresh lime juice, approximately 2 limes
2scallions, both green and white parts, trimmed and thinly sliced, for garnish

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Heat oven to 425. Cut the yams lengthwise into 4 wedges per yam. Put them in a large bowl, and toss them with the honey, ½ tablespoon of the Espelette pepper or crushed red-pepper flakes and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Let it sit for 10 minutes or so, tossing once or twice to coat, as the oven heats.
Step 2
Transfer the yams to a foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet, season with salt and pepper and then bake until they are deeply caramelized around the edges and soft when pierced with a fork at their thickest part, approximately 30 to 35 minutes.
Step 3
As the yams roast, combine the yogurt, lime juice and remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a small bowl, and whisk to combine, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
Step 4
When the yams are done, transfer them to a serving platter, drizzle the yogurt over them and garnish with the remaining Espelette pepper or red-pepper flakes, the scallions and some flaky sea salt if you have any.

Ratings

5 out of 5

1,262 user ratings

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Comments

J. Vega7 years ago

Here in L.A. a T of Espelette peppers runs about $25, and using "crushed red pepper flakes" (usually Cayenne pepper) would radically change this dish. Espelette peppers have a Scoville rating of about 4,000 (mildly hot) while Cayenne peppers run between 30,000 to 50,000 Scovile units, a huge difference.

I'd suggest pimentón (smoked paprika) with a pinch or two of the red pepper flakes as a substitute for the Espelette peppers.

Randy7 years ago

Step 1 Q: You're right. They must have started with long skinny sweet potatoes (enough! with this "yam" myth). If your spuds are portly just cut them into more wedges. You want the long thin profile for better crisping & caramelization.
Step 2 Q: You will get a better result if you roast the wedges skin-side-down. The cut sides will aspirate more internal moisture than the skin side, yielding the desired crispy, caramelized quality. Allow good space between wedges on the pan.

Sam Sifton7 years ago

Ottolenghi has a recipe for roasted sweet potatoes with lemongrass creme fraiche in "Plenty." It contains ground coriander and ginger in addition to the first two ingredients, and a garnish of cilantro and sliced red chili. He also has one for roasted butternut squash with "sweet spices" -- garam masala, cinnamon, cloves and the like -- along with a lime yogurt that has some tahini in it. The dish is dressed with sliced jalapeno and chopped cilantro. Delicious. And different.

Lisa M.3 weeks ago

I used red sweet potatoes or yams, don’t remember which and followed the recipe using crushed red pepper. Sauce was full fat Greek yogurt, dill, salt and pepper, garlic powder and a bit of mayonnaise. It was delicious!

Dee3 weeks ago

Simple and incredibly delicious. Don’t ditch the yogurt sauce. It compliments so well.

Nancy in Boise3 months ago

These get better every day they sit. Make extras so you'll have leftovers. Oh so yummy.

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