Yam Bake a la Orange

This is the holiday yam dish for anyone who finds marshmallow-topped sweet potatoes too sweet. Sliced yams layer with juicy fresh orange rounds and chopped dried figs, then get drizzled with an orange-scented honey butter and a scatter of walnuts before baking.

The flavour logic here is all about balance. The natural sugars in the yams are tempered by the tartness of whole orange slices (not just juice), which bring brightness and slight bitterness from the pith that prevents the dish from going cloying. The figs add chewy, concentrated sweetness, and the walnuts bring the savory bitter crunch that ties it all together.

Boiling the yams first, then slicing, is the smart move the recipe directs. Parboiled yams hold together in neat rounds and absorb the orange-honey butter instead of fighting it, while trying to slice and bake raw yams would take twice as long.

Covering with foil during baking traps steam, which softens the orange slices and dried figs while the yams reheat and drink up the sauce. Thirty minutes at 350°F (175°C) is enough to bubble everything together without caramelizing the honey to burnt.

Kitchen Tips

• Slice the yams ¼ inch thick, any thicker and they won’t soak up the glaze evenly.
• Use jumbo oranges (navels or cara caras), smaller ones lose their structure in the oven.
• Toast the walnuts for 3 minutes in a dry pan before scattering, it deepens their flavour.
• Uncover for the last five minutes if you want a bit of caramelized edge on top.

Variations

• Swap figs for chopped dates or dried apricots for a different dried-fruit note.
• Add a pinch of cinnamon or cardamom to the honey butter for more holiday warmth.
• Use pecans instead of walnuts for a sweeter, more Southern-leaning pan.