This yam casserole is a classy replacement for the marshmallow-covered casserole that accompanies many Thanksgiving dinners. My grandmother, Polly, has been bringing this casserole to Thanksgiving dinner for years and I simply had to have the recipe. She had several apricot trees in her yard and would use her own dried apricots for this dish. The following note was on the recipe she gave me:
Years ago I used to send our own dried apricots to friends on the east Coast. One recipient, in her thank-you note, always mentioned the casserole she made annually for a church dinner and how her friends always looked for that contribution. I asked her for the recipe—which made enough for twenty people!—and have cut the proportions down to family-size. Enjoy!
In the USA, some sweet potato varieties are actually labeled as yams. For this recipe, look for red garnet "yams", but any sweet potato or yam variety should work.
6 medium-to-large red garnet yams
1 cup toasted pecans (broken or halves)
1 cup dried Blenheim apricots
Sauce
1 can apricot nectar (11.5 oz)
juice of 2 oranges (1/2 cup)
1 1/2 cups cold water
2 Tbsp. butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp. corn starch
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
zest of one orange
You can bake the yams the night before if desired/convenient. Using a fork, prick several holes in each unpeeled yam. Bake whole yams in an oven preheated to 400° F for 60 - 90 minutes. Yams are done when a paring knife easily pierces the center of a yam. Since yams aren't all the exact same size nor do they have the same proportions, begin checking each for doneness at 60 minutes. Remove smaller ones that are done to let the larger ones continue cooking. Repeat checking for done-ness every 5 minutes until they are all done. You don't want them to be too soft as they will continue to cook a little when you remove from oven. However, the yams will not soften much during the final baking, which is more for reheating/browning, so if the yams are still firm during this first baking, let them cook more. You can also heat them in a microwave to soften a little more in case you realize they are still too firm after they have cooled.
While the yams are cooling, dissolve the corn starch in the cold water and stir with a whisk until fully dissolved. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently. Once the mixture comes to a boil, continue boiling until the sauce thickens (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat and pour in the apricots and pecans.
Peel the cooled yams and cut into big chunks. Depending on the yams, you may need to also use a knife to slice off the outer layer beneath the skin. Cut away any discolored areas and then slice the yams into good sized chunks about 3/4 inch square. If some of the sliced chunks are still firm, you can place them in a microwave and cook on high for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes to soften. Arrange the yams in a deep, 9x12 casserole dish. Pour the apricot sauce over the yams in the casserole dish, distributing the apricots and pecans throughout the yams.
When you are nearing serving time, place the casserole dish over a jelly roll pan and bake at 350° F for about 20-25 minutes or until heated through and bubbly. Gently stir the yams to distribute the sauce and serve.
