Fufu

 Serve 4

Ingredients

2 pounds yams

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon olive oil

Preparation

Fill a medium-sized pot halfway with cold water

Carefully peel the yams; their slippery quality can make them hard to peel.

Cut the peeled yams into chunks and place them in the cold water.

Bring the yams to a boil over high heat. Keep a rapid boil until the yams are soft, about 25 minutes. 

Remove the yams, drain, but reserve about a cup of the cooking water. Allow the yams to cool off.

Place the cooled yams in a large bowl along with the salt, pepper, and olive oil.

Mash and mix the ingredients using a potato masher. The mixture will be uneven and lumpy.

Place the fufu mixture in a food processor or blender. Pulse briefly at low speed to remove any lumps but do not puree. Place the yam mixture back in the bowl and beat it with a wooden spoon until it becomes smooth. The mixture should become sticky and slightly elastic. It's perfectly fine to use your hands to get it to the desired texture. Add some of the reserved water, starting with 1/4 cup, and work the dough. You might need to add more water, but it depends on how moist the yams were to begin with. Keep working and adding water until you have a springy dough that comes away from the bowl, is pliable, and is easily shaped. Shape the fufu into balls of equal size and serve as an accompaniment to your favorite soup or stew.