March 18, 2009 | Technique, Vegetables

Carrots…one of the most simple and inexpensive vegetables. I don’t know why I tend to only eat them in salads, but it’s probably that most cooked carrots are just a little boring. One way to prepare them, however, that is anything but boring is to glaze them. Using just a little butter and brown sugar creates a velvety sweet glaze that will entice anyone.

To get a perfectly glazed carrot that is tender but not mushy, you need to use just the right amount of water. If you use too little, the carrots will be too hard when the water evaporates. If you use too much, the carrots will just simmer in the water and the water won’t evaporate in time to make the glaze. The trick is to start out with less water than you think you need, then add a little water as they cook if you need more until you achieve the perfect glazed carrot.

Glazed Carrots
Serves 8

2 pounds baby carrots, peeled
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons brown sugar
salt and pepper

Place butter in the bottom of a large skillet, then add carrots. Sprinkle with brown sugar over top. Add water about half up carrots and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered loosely, until carrots are just barely tender and water is evaporated. If carrots are not tender enough, add a little more water and continue to cook. Once the water has evaporated and the bottom of the pan shows a bit of browned color, add just 1 tablespoon of water and swirl carrots around to pick up glaze. Salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.