Step 1
Preheat oven to 375°F (191°C). Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish with butter. Set aside.
Step 2
Peel the yams, and slice them into ½-inch “coins” or “discs”. Evenly layer the yams into the greased casserole dish, overlapping the slices as necessary.
Step 3
In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, over medium heat, combine 1 cup (217g) of the Redpath® Dark Brown Sugar, ½ cup (113g) cubed butter, pineapple juice, grated ginger, salt, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Stir to melt the butter and dissolve the sugar. Once sugar has completely melted, allow the sauce to simmer for 2 to 3 minutes without stirring. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
Step 4
With a ladle, spoon the sauce over the sliced yams, making sure all the yams are coated in the sauce.
Step 5
Tightly cover the casserole with aluminum foil. With a skewer, poke a hole in each corner and poke a few holes down the centre of the foil to allow some of the steam to escape.
Step 6
Place casserole into the preheated oven. At 20-minute intervals, uncover and flip the yam slices around to evenly distribute the sauce. Baste the slices with the sauce, cover and repeat until yams are tender; about 1 hour. When yams are tender, remove the casserole dish from the oven.
Step 7
Set the oven to broil (leaving the rack in the centre position).
Step 8
Uncover the dish, and dot the surface of the yams with the remaining 2 tablespoons (28g) of butter. Evenly sprinkle the surface of the yams with the remaining ½ cup (109g) Redpath Dark Brown Sugar and place back into the oven. Rotate the dish to evenly melt and caramelize the sugar; about 3 to 5 minutes.
Step 9
Remove from oven and garnish with fresh thyme. Allow the casserole to cool slightly to thicken the sauce before serving; 10 minutes.
Step 10
Serve immediately.
*Choose yams that are evenly sized in diameter; this will help them cook more evenly in the oven.
*Redpath® Demerara Style Sugar or Redpath® Golden Yellow Sugar can be substituted for the Redpath® Dark Brown Sugar. Note that using the Demerara sugar may result in a more complex and earthy flavour and a darker colour to the finished yams. Using the golden sugar may result in yams that have a less pronounced caramel flavour and may be lighter in colour.
*If pineapple juice is not available, orange juice will work well too.
