Bourbon-Glazed Roasted Carrots ♥ Recipe

Bourbon-Glazed Roasted Carrots
Today's vegetable recipe: Pretty spring carrots roasted slowly, then drizzled with a caramel glaze flavored with bourbon or another good-tasting liquor.

Thank my sister for this recipe. She's a serious fan of Serious Eats – me too, actually though new posts come fast enough that I miss many. Luckily, my sister's got an eagle eye for more than editing and often forwards some gotta-make-it-NOW recipe from there. Like making pancake syrup out of leftover wine. (Wait. Is there a theme going on here? These carrots, after all, are sweetened with a caramel glaze flavored with bourbon.)

Chances are, these are special-occasion carrots, even if I've "Alanna-sized" the recipe with less fat and less sugar, if only because carrots sold in bunches with their tops on are more expensive albeit ever so pretty. They'd be nice for Easter (aren't carrots somehow perfect for a spring celebration?) but I can also imagine them as a side with steaks on the grill some Saturday, some meal where the meat is lean and the plate needs color and liveliness.

RECIPE for BOURBON-GLAZED ROASTED CARROTS

Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Time to table: 45 minutes
Enough for 12 medium-size carrots

CARROTS
1 bunch carrots with their tops on
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (pimenton)
Salt & pepper to taste (don't skip the pepper, really works with the glaze)

BOURBON GLAZE
1/4 cup bourbon (or another flavorful liquor, I used Grand Marnier)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon orange juice
Kosher salt to taste

CARROTS Preheat oven to 375F. Wash the carrots and cut off the tops, leaving an inch or so for aesthetics. Don't peel the carrots but scrub well. In a small bowl, stir together the olive oil and paprika. With your hands rub the carrots with the oil-paprika mixture and arrange on a baking sheet, keeping space between the carrots. Roast for about 30 minutes, turning once after 20 minutes.

BOURBON GLAZE Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring the bourbon to a boil and cook down by about half. Add the brown sugar and cook until the mixture becomes bubbly. Stir in the butter, orange juice and salt. Cook, stirring nearly all the time, until the mixture thickens. Keep warm while the carrots finish roasting.

TO COMBINE Arrange the carrots on a serving platter, drizzle with the glaze.

MAKE-AHEAD The sauce can be made ahead, even the carrots can be roasted several hours ahead, then rewarmd in the oven for about 10 minutes or in the microwave for about 2 minutes.

ALANNA's TIPS & KITCHEN NOTES
The bourbon glaze is good enough, consider making a double or triple batch, enough for ice cream or cake. Even if you don't like the idea of caramel sauce on carrots, the caramel sauce is seriously good.


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Alanna Kellogg
Alanna Kellogg

A Veggie Venture is home of "veggie evangelist" Alanna Kellogg and the famous asparagus-to-zucchini Alphabet of Vegetables.

Comments

  1. Hi Alanna. Thank you sooo much for this recipe. I think its going to make its way onto my Easter dinner plate this weekend. All the best.

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  2. I saw this post earlier and had to come back after I had picked up a fresh bunch of carrot. I love ooking with various liquors and alcohols. Bourbon sounds good but lately I have had a preference for rum. I will let you know how itt turns out.

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  3. I've never roasted whole carrots, these look delicious! Thanks for the comment on my blog, I just sent you my email address so you can add me to your mailing list. Thanks!

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  4. Alanna, another fabulous recipe. Used the carrots from this weeks CSA....yumm. What a treat. The caramelized bourbon-butter glaze is so delicious and perfect for the spiced roasted carrots. This will be become either a) family legend or b) a family favorite!!! Thank you.

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Thank you for taking a moment to write! I read each and every comment, for each and every recipe, whether a current recipe or a long-ago favorite. If you have a specific question, it's nearly always answered quick-quick. ~ Alanna