Honey-glazed roasted carrots

I recently served these carrots along with Cornish hens and wild rice for Shabbat dinner, and thought this would be a great recipe to share as we move into the fall holiday season and are looking for ways to incorporate honey.

I love the flavor and texture of pan-roasted root vegetables. The honey glaze gives just enough sweetness, and a little Aleppo pepper adds a slightly smoky flavor that makes the taste pop. I cook and garnish food with Aleppo pepper more than any other pepper; it’s available with a kosher hechsher on Amazon. The pepper flakes are larger than a ground red pepper or paprika, so the flavor doesn’t saturate the food entirely.

For this recipe, buy small carrots that have the leafy stems attached.

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Ingredients:
1 pound small carrots
2 teaspoons oil
Sprinkle of sea salt
3-4 tablespoons honey
1/16 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or a sprinkle of coarse black pepper

Trim the leafy greens from the carrots, leaving about a 2-inch stem.

Wash and peel the carrots and set them aside to dry on a paper towel, which will take about a half-hour.

Preheat the oven to 425 F and place the oven rack in the upper third of the oven. (Avoid using the highest slot for the rack so that the parchment paper lining the pan doesn’t burn.)

Line a small baking sheet with a lip on all sides with parchment paper.

Lay the carrots in a single layer on the pan, brush them with oil and sprinkle them lightly with salt. You will have more control over the amount of oil added if you use a pastry brush to apply the oil.

Place the pan into the oven and roast for 20 minutes.

Honey spreads more easily when it’s warm. Instead of warming honey in a pan, I measure it into a bowl or measuring cup and put it on the back of the stovetop to warm as the carrots roast; just be careful when reaching for the bowl, as it will be too hot to touch with bare hands. Adding the honey near the end will ensure that it doesn’t turn black and burn.

Remove the tray from the oven and turn the carrots over, then brush them with honey and sprinkle with pepper.

Reduce the heat of the oven to 400 F and put the carrots back in the oven for 10 more minutes.

Test one of the larger carrots with a fork. It should be fork-tender but still have a firmness to it. If the carrots are too hard, you can roast them for an additional 5-10 minutes, but stay near the oven so the honey doesn’t burn.

Remove the pan from the oven and allow the carrots to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

You can brush the carrots again with the melted honey at the bottom of the pan once they’re on the serving plate.

These will look beautiful on your table and can be made in advance and carefully warmed before serving.

Enjoy and bless your hands! PJC

Jessica Grann is a home chef living in Pittsburgh.