Choose long thin sweet potatoes, if possible, because they will make a lovely presentation on your holiday table when prepared this way. The potatoes are sliced, arranged in a baking dish, then covered with the glaze and baked until tender and golden.
Zest lemon and set aside; squeeze juice from lemon and also set aside (you should have about 4 tablespoons).
2
In a small saucepan, simmer 3/4 cup water with sugar and salt, stirring until sugar dissolves; remove from heat and add lemon juice, pepper, nutmeg, and 2 tablespoons of butter.
3
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and grease a 10 inch circular or 8 x 10 inch casserole pan with butter.
4
Peel sweet potatoes and cut into 1/8 to 1/2 inch thick slices.
5
Arrange potato slices, in overlapping layers, bearing in mind that they will shrink and soften a little when they cook.
6
Pour over the lemon syrup, dot with remaining butter, cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake until tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
7
Remove foil, turn oven up to 450 degrees F and bake until most of the liquid has evaporated and potatoes begin to brown slightly on top, 10 to 25 minutes.
8
Sprinkle with lemon zest and thyme or parsley, if desired.