By Mark Bittman
- Total Time
- 1 hour 30 minutes
- Rating
- 5(271)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Elevating vegetables to star status is a better display of your culinary chops — and a more unconventional and surprising one — than showcasing a piece of meat. These are an adaptation of the “forgotten carrots” served by Neil Borthwick at Merchants Tavern in London; they actually do require a little bit of attention.
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 2pounds large carrots
- 3tablespoons olive oil
- 8tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter,plus 3 extra tablespoons for roastingthe carrots
- 2cardamom pods
- 2star anise
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 1teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 3tablespoons chervil leaves orchopped fresh parsley
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
398 calories; 34 grams fat; 16 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 14 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 24 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 11 grams sugars; 3 grams protein; 671 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Heat the oven to 325. Scrub the carrots, and peel them if you like (it really doesn’t matter). Set a roasting pan over two burners on medium heat; put the olive oil in the pan. When the oil is hot, add the carrots and cook, turning as they brown, until lightly caramelized all over, 10 to 15 minutes.
Step
2
Add 3 tablespoons butter, spices, salt and pepper. Transfer the roasting pan to the oven, and cook, shaking the pan once or twice, until the carrots are crinkly on the outside and you can pierce them easily with the tip of a sharp knife, 45 to 60 minutes.
Step
3
Meanwhile, put 1 stick butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally until the butter foam subsides and the butter turns nut brown, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat.
Step
4
Put brown butter, vinegar, Dijon, salt and pepper in a blender. Blend until a creamy emulsion forms, about 30 seconds; taste, and adjust the seasoning. Put the carrots on a platter, drizzle the vinaigrette over the top and garnish with the chervil or parsley, and serve.
Ratings
5
out of 5
271
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Cooking Notes
Bruce
The star anise overpowers the cardamom, so I use only one star anise. Having fried the carrots and added butter to them in the oven, the butter-based vinaigrette may be overdoing it. Suggest omitting it and finishing with the green garnish only before serving.
Thomas
Very good. Needs to be paired with a bold flavored main dish, as this is very strong-flavored (and tasty).
Paula
I omitted the star anise and put extra cardamom. Turned out really well. Used only about half of the dressing. A real hit and easy to make ahead.
nm
Only had very thin carrots; seared in hot oil in a cast iron and cut cook time in half. Butter sauce is rich but delicious. Very decadent dish.
Ellwell
These were very tasty. We didnt peel and they were fine. The flavor is delicious and a little unusual. Definitely will make again
OCM
Winged it on spices Ras el hanout for cardamom/star aniseherbes de provence for parsleyadded some ginger powder
Michael C
There are strict safety rules around Pyrex. Never use it on direct heat (stove or grill) and never put cold liquid in a hot pyre or hot liquid in a cold Pyrex. IT WILL EXPLODE. Here’s a great wire cutter essay on Pyrex: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/tempered-vs-borosilicate-glass/
Be VERY careful!
So, browned carrots, as directed, in a Pyrex roasting pan and just at the 15 minute mark, the pan exploded, sending glass, hot butter, and carrots everywhere. No injuries, thank God, but lots of cleanup on Thanksgiving. Beware of this step...wish I could include my pics of the disaster.
Kris
Delicious. I followed the directions except for the star anise since I did not have any. I served it with roast pork with apples and onions.
KS
I make this all the time. The caramelizing step takes it to the next level. Often I only use a smidgen of the butter for dressing and it still tastes great.
wendy
Nat's Dinner--Big Hit
Mary
I use this dish for one of our meatless meals. Such great flavors. I don't change a thing. Just plan ahead for a 1+ hour cook time.
Allyson
I didn't make the vinaigrette, but I really liked this method for cooking the carrots. I had the oven at 325 for another dish, and most roasted carrot recipes call for a higher temperature, so I decided to try this method out of convenience, and really liked how it turned out.
Jen
This is a very strong dish, and the sherry vinegar and spices quite overpowering. One really needs to appreciate star anise and cardamom, but I would 1/2 everything except the carrots and decide from there whether to add more. Not a keeper.
Amy
No need for the extra butter. I’m sure it is delicious, but I just mixed the Dijon and sherry vinegar for the final dressing.
Mary
The brown butter sauce is a must. I think I will cut out some/all of the butter before I add carrots to the oven. Really flavorful justice for our just out of the garden carrots!
Lauren
I had some kimchi that i added to the top over rice, serving carrots as the main dish. Without the kimchi, it would have been like eating a stick of butter. Next time I could skip the brown butter in the vinaigrette.
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