Ìyán (Yam Swallow)

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Add 4 cups water to a medium bowl. Using a sharp knife, slice the yam into 2-inch-thick rounds. (Vegetable peelers don’t get through the thick brown skin here. A knife is more efficient.) Trim off the brown skin: Make a slit through the skin, just deep enough for the knife to touch the white flesh. Peel off the skin and discard. Cut yam into ½-inch cubes, transferring them to the water to keep them from turning brown. Swish and drain the cubes until no longer slippery and the water runs clear, about 5 minutes.

2. 1. Step 2

      Transfer yams to a blender and, working in batches if necessary, pulse on low just enough to break up. Add 2 tablespoons water if you have trouble getting the pieces moving. Purée on high until completely smooth, about 1 ½ minutes.

3. 1. Step 3

      Pour the purée into a medium pot, and stir in ½ cup water until smooth. Place the pot over medium heat. Cover, with the lid cracked, and cook until steam begins to rise from the sides of the pot, 6 to 8 minutes. Don’t leave the pot unattended; the liquid may quickly bubble up over the sides. 

4. 1. Step 4

      Remove the lid, cook and stir, using a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom. You should have a thick, chalky-looking dough. It will be loose at the center, thickened at the sides and stiff at the bottom. Fold the dough over and onto itself until it’s a smooth, thickened paste, about 4 minutes. (A thin film of starch will form on the bottom, and that's OK.)

5. 1. Step 5

      Cover and continue cooking until bubbles slowly rise to the top and the dough pulls away from the pot, about 5 minutes. 

6. 1. Step 6

      Uncover and increase the heat to medium-high. Repeat the folding until a smooth, glossy, sticky dough forms, 3 to 4 minutes. It should be soft and pliable, supple and loose enough to fall off a wet spoon with a soft plop. Remove from heat, cover and let thicken as it cools, at least 5 to 15 minutes.

   2. Step 7

      Form the mixture into balls to serve: Fill a bowl with water and dip a large serving spoon to wet it, then scoop the dough. Press the scooped dough against the side of the pot to shape the dough into a ball, then transfer to individual shallow bowls. Repeat with the remaining dough to form 2 to 3 more balls, dipping the spoon into the water before each scoop. Serve alongside ẹ̀fọ́ riro, egusi soup, with ọbẹ̀ onírù or any braised meat.