Cream of Yam with Sugared Walnuts

Simmered with ginger to cut the plain sweetness, the yams are mashed, stir-fried in oil until piping hot and creamy, then served with a generous topping of sugared walnuts. It is a rich but not overly sweet dessert. Deep-fried with the inner skin on, the walnuts are astoundingly light and brittle, and full of that delicious toasted flavor that the Chinese call “charred fragrance.” They are almost impossible to stop eating. This would also be delicious as a vegetable accompaniment for roast