Roasted Carrots
2021 F&W Best New Chef Gaby Maeda's method for making these flavorful, buttery roasted carrots starts with briefly cooking whole carrots in an ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat and sautéing them in a little olive oil until they are browned in spots. She then tosses them with butter, thyme sprigs, and garlic, and seasons them with salt. The carrots are finally briefly roasted in a hot oven, where the high heat creates caramelized edges that add texture to their outsides, while their interior turns soft and creamy, but not mushy. The entire process takes just 20 minutes, and yields fork-tender carrots with satisfying flavor.
Gallery
Recipe Summary
When carrots are roasted, the heat from the oven intensifies their sugars. The result is carrots that are so sweet, they taste almost like candy. 2021 F&W Best New Chef Gaby Maeda likes to use these roasted carrots as an element of her Carrot Mochi with Pistachio Dukkah, but they also make an easy, quick, tasty vegetable side dish on their own. (The recipe can easily doubled if you're feeding a larger crowd.) Small carrots look especially pretty when cooked whole, but if you can only find medium ones, you can cut them in half lengthwise. You can mix up the herbs used, if you like—Maeda uses thyme, but another woody herb, like rosemary, also works beautifully here. This recipe is easily doubled for a larger crowd.
