Ingredients:

  • 3 lbs (1.4 kg) yams or sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch rounds or chunks
  • 6 Tbsp (85g) unsalted butter
  • 1 cup (200g) dark brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) water
  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup (60g) chopped pecans, lightly toasted

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
  2. Arrange the peeled and sliced sweet potatoes snugly in a single layer (or slight overlap) in the prepared baking dish.
  3. In a large deep skillet or saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Continue cooking, swirling often, until the butter foams, then develops deep amber-brown specks at the bottom and smells nutty (this is brown butter). Immediately remove from heat.
  4. Whisk the dark brown sugar, water, orange juice, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt directly into the warm brown butter until the sugar is mostly dissolved, creating the glaze.
  5. Pour the entire glaze mixture evenly over the yams in the baking dish.
  6. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the dish, gently flip or baste the yams thoroughly with the accumulated sauce, and return to the oven for another 20–30 minutes, or until the yams are tender and the sauce is thick and syrupy.
  7. During the final 10 minutes of baking, sprinkle the lightly toasted chopped pecans over the yams.
  8. Let the yams rest for 5-10 minutes before serving; the sauce will continue to thicken beautifully as it cools slightly.