by: Kate McMillan
Cook Time
25 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Yield
Serves 4-6
Total Time
25 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Yield
Serves 4-6
summary
Glazing is a great way to elevate a simple vegetable and is an extremely easy technique to master. The only trick is to not overcook your vegetables while you wait for the liquid to reduce into that magical glaze. So while this is primarily hands-off cooking, you want to monitor the carrots. The easiest way to do this is to check their doneness by using the tip of a paring knife. And keep in mind that all of your glazed carrots may not cook at the same speed depending on thickness, so remove them from the pan as they reach the perfect level of tenderness.
ingredients
- 1 bunch (about ¾ pound) carrots, peeled and stems trimmed to 1 inch
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 bay leaf (optional)
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tablespoons chopped pistachios
directions
- Place the carrots in a 12-inch skillet and fill with cold water until the water just covers the carrots. Add the butter, brown sugar, salt and bay leaf. Set over medium-high heat.
- Once the water boils, reduce heat to a simmer and allow the carrots to cook until fork-tender, about 12 minutes. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, move the carrots to a plate and turn the heat to medium-high. Let the liquid reduce to about 3 tablespoons, add the thyme and then return the carrots to the pan. Toss them around in the glaze until warmed through, about 3 minutes.
- Transfer to a serving platter, sprinkle with the pistachios and serve immediately.
notes
This technique works beautifully with parsnips and Brussels sprouts.
Try fresh rosemary.
Hazelnuts, pine nuts and almonds also pair well with this recipe.
You can make this recipe in advance. To reheat, warm the glazed carrots over medium-low heat in the same skillet you cooked them in.
