Carrots ~ Maple-Nut
By Yankee Magazine|Nov 18 2006|
Roasting is one of the best approaches to maximize the sweet, earthy flavor of carrots. The high heat caramelizes the carrot�s sugars and browns the exterior, ideally leaving the interior tender and moist. Too often, however, the carrots burn black or turn tough and dry. What�s the best approach to roasting carrots? Here’s what we discovered:
Test Kitchen Discoveries
Ingredients
* Cook the carrots hot and fast: 475 degrees for 15 minutes or so. The intense heat promotes rapid caramelization, which, in turn, keeps the interior moist.
Preheat the baking sheet to jumpstart cooking. Just be careful when spreading out the uncooked carrots onto the very hot pan.
Instructions
* Toss the carrots with melted butter and dark brown sugar for the richest flavor and deepest color.
* For a sweet-and-spicy maple syrup and nut flavor (particularly well suited to roast pork or turkey), toss the almost-cooked carrots with maple syrup, vanilla, chili powder, and walnuts. A few minutes more in the oven will turn the syrup to a glaze.
