Maple Pan-Roasted Baby Carrots

The Carrot Top Bouquet

We picked up these crazy ass carrots last week at the North Union Farmers Market at Shaker Square. As far as carrots go, we have a tendency to float around to some of the different vendors. While there are specific people we go to for specific things, produce for the most part seems to be a bit of a moving target.

I don't remember the name of the farm, but he's the guy that also sells bison meat along with a variety of vegetables. Even this deep into November I've seen some stuff that is The Chef's Garden quality, which I find to be pretty remarkable. At any rate, I saw these carrots and knew they'd make for some interesting pictures.

The Cut

The outside is a deep purple just like a beet, but the color only goes toward the middle of the carrot about an 1/8th of an inch - the rest is orange. I don' t know the name of carrot variety but I'll find out when I talk to the guy this weekend. As one might expect, they were a fairly sweet carrot that browned up quite noticeably when roasted.

While this recipe calls for baby carrots, these were a little too big. Rolling and cutting them ensured they would cook all the way through. Visually I think they were much more appealing cut than left whole. I didn't realize it until after I made the recipe that this was written by Dan Barber of Blue Hill. He's certainly one who tries not to let his cooking get in the way of good product.

A printable version of this recipe can be found here at the Fine Cooking site.

The Finished Product
(I photographed these things a bunch of different ways and they looked black every time.)

Maple Pan-Roasted Baby Carrots
by Dan Barber


1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb. carrots with their tops on, preferably baby carrots, peeled and stems trimmed to about 1/2 inch
1 Tbs. pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp. kosher or sea salt; more as needed
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper; more as needed
Tip: To cut a large carrot into 6 baby-carrot-size pieces, slice the carrot in half crosswise; then halve the narrower bottom end and quarter the wider stem end.

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F.

2. In a large (12-inch) ovenproof skillet or sauté pan, heat the oil over high heat (the oil shouldn’t smoke but should crackle when you add the carrots). Add the carrots and cook, stirring frequently, until they blister and turn golden brown in spots, 1 to 2 minutes.

2. Add the maple syrup, salt, and pepper and toss well to coat the carrots. Remove from the heat. Spread the carrots evenly in the skillet and transfer it to the hot oven.

3. Roast until the carrots are tender, browned in spots, and just a little shriveled, 12 to 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.

Nantes Carrot Stew

What is it about getting your hands on some really good produce that makes you want to look extra hard for a good recipe? In the past we’ve gotten the Chef’s Garden Family Box and been really impressed with what was sent to us. Because the boxes vary from shipment to shipment, you’re never quite sure what’s inside until you open them. In a recent box we received some rather large carrots that required some breaking down into smaller chunks. The hunt was on for something that cooked utilize carrots in “chunky” form, but more importantly was really tasty.
Not to sound like a broken record here, but the Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc at Home has some monstrously delicious recipes in it. I’ve done a number of his creations in the past and with the exception of one, they’ve all been above average in the visual appeal and taste categories.

For these carrots I chose the Nantes Carrot Stew recipe. The recipe is actually very easy to execute and one of the quicker ones from the book. One of the things I really like is that you can make it the day before and finish the last step right before you serve it. This would be great for a dinner party where you’re already stretched for time.

The Nantes Carrot Stew has definitely been added to my list of “go to” vegetable sides.

Nantes Carrot Stew

Nantes Carrot Stew
By Thomas Keller, Ad Hoc at Home

• 2 pounds sweet carrots, preferably Nantes
• 1 tspn coriander seeds
• 1 tspn caraway seeds
• 4-6 Tbsp (2-3 ounces) unsalted butter
• Kosher salt
• 2 Tbsp dry sherry or Madeira
• 1 cup fresh carrot juice
• Large pinch of Yellow Curry Powder or Madras curry powder

1. Peel the carrots and cut them into oblique shapes.

2. Make a sachet of the coriander and caraway seeds by wrapping them in a piece of cheesecloth and tying it with kitchen twine.

3. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the carrots, season with salt, and cook, stirring often, until the carrots begin to give off their juices, about 7 minutes. Lower the heat as necessary to keep the carrots from browning. Add the sherry and cook for 2 minutes. Add the carrot juice, curry powder, and sachet and, and cook, swirling the pan, for 2 more minutes, or until the carrots are just tender. (The carrots can be cooled and refrigerated in the liquid overnight.) With a slotted spoon, transfer the carrots to a bowl. Discard the sachet.

4. Simmer the carrot juice until reduced to a light glaze. Whisk in the remaining 2 to 4 tablespoons of butter, depending on your preference, 1 tablespoon at a time. Season to taste with salt, add the carrots, and swirl to glaze the carrots. Transfer to a serving bowl.

Serves 6