Psst! Want to know how to get your kids — or yourself — to eat carrots?
Glaze ’em.
Glazing is a process that will turn the humble orange root into a side dish that will have you and your friends and family gobbling carrots like rabbits.
The technique can be done in a single pan, and it only takes about 10 minutes. The results are carrots bathed in a sweet glaze of liquid that might just make this side the star of the meal.
You can make this recipe a family affair by having the kids or your spouse peel the skins off the carrots, and as a bonus, you’ll even learn how to make a reduction sauce in the process. I’ve only got one word to describe the whole thing: Sweet
Glorious Glazed Carrots
(Makes about 4 servings)
- 2 pounds of carrots, skinned and chopped
- 14-ounce can of low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Garnish: 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
Step 1: Gather your ingredients and peel and chop the carrots, going from the pointy end to the wider one. You don’t need perfect cuts, but you do want the pieces to be of a similar size so they cook at an even rate. I usually end up nibbling on the thin tips. Consider them an eye-saving appetizer.
Step 2: When the carrots are cut, dump them and everything else (except the garnish — that’s for the end) into a pan that’s at least 10 inches wide and has a lid. If you have nonstick, use it. Even out the carrots, put the heat to medium, and bring the whole mixture to a simmer (when small bubbles come to the surface of the liquid).
Step 3: Put a lid on the pan, lower the heat to medium-low and cook about 5 minutes. This is called pan-steaming. Sounds fancy, yes? Wait — it gets even better.
Step 4: Remove the lid, crank the heat to medium-high, and continue to cook until most of the liquid is dissolved. You are now making a reduction sauce. Sweet, huh?
Step 5: After a few minutes most of the liquid should be dissolved, leaving you with a lovely syrup that puts the glaze in glazed carrots. Dump everything into a bowl, sprinkle with the chopped parsley, and prepare to eat your veggies in a very delicious way.