Butter-Braised Carrots with Thyme
Braised in sweet butter and tossed with garlic and thyme, these carrots are truly sublime.
Ingredients:
1½ pounds carrots, peeled and cut into thick matchsticks
2 tablespoons butter
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced (if desired)
2 thyme sprigs
1¾ cups chicken stock
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 375°. In a large ovenproof skillet (one that has an accompanying lid, which will be used later), melt the butter over moderately low heat. Add the carrots, garlic and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing frequently, until the carrots are tender but not browned, about 10 minutes. Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil and remove from the heat.
2. Cover the skillet with the lid. Braise the carrots in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until they are very tender. Discard the thyme sprigs and serve.
Smashed Sunchokes with Thyme Butter
Enriched with butter and thyme and the perfect side dish for any spring meal.
1 pound sunchokes, rinsed and trimmed of any dark spots
6-8 tablespoons canola or other neutral oil for frying
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Large pinch freshly picked thyme leaves
Flaky salt, such as Maldon, for serving
Method:
1. In a medium saucepan, cover the sunchokes with cold water. Season generously with salt (the water should taste nicely salted, as if you were seasoning soup). Set over high heat and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook until a paring knife inserted into a sunchoke meets little resistance, about 10 minutes; be careful not to overcook.
2. Drain sunchokes using a fine-mesh strainer or colander. When cool enough to handle, place sunchokes on a work surface or cutting board. Working 1 sunchoke at a time, use the bottom of a heavy skillet to press firmly on each sunchoke until it is flattened but still in one piece; take care not to press so hard that the sunchokes break apart.
3. In a large cast iron or other heavy bottomed skillet, heat oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add sunchokes in a single layer and cook without moving until well browned, about 3 minutes. Add more oil, if needed. Flip sunchokes, then add butter to the pan and allow to melt. Add half of the thyme to the melted butter and continue to cook, spooning butter over sunchokes, until browned on the second side, about 3 minutes longer.
4. Transfer sunchokes to a serving plate and spoon the thyme butter on top. Garnish with remaining freshly picked thyme leaves and sprinkle with flaky salt. Serve immediately.
Honey & Thyme-Roasted Carrots with Quesco Fresco
A delightfully-fresh spin on roasted carrots.
Ingredients:
1 bunch carrots, peeled
2 teaspoon butter, melted
2 teaspoon honey
½ teaspoon fresh thyme
â…› teaspoon cayenne pepper
â…› teaspoon smoked paprika
½ cup queso fresco, crumbled
¼ cup pomegranate seeds
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 425° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
2. In a small bowl melt butter in the microwave (about 15 seconds). Add honey, thyme, cayenne, smoked paprika and a pinch each salt and pepper to the melted butter and mix together.
3. Pour the seasoning mixture over carrots and toss to make sure they are evenly coated. Spread carrots out on the baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes, flipping after 10 minutes.
4. Transfer roasted carrots to a serving dish and top with crumbled queso fresco and pomegranate seeds. Serve warm.
4. Transfer roasted carrots to a serving dish and top with crumbled feta and pomegranate seeds. Serve warm.
Braised Turnips & Carrots
Simmered in rich chicken stock, this dish is finished with lemon juice and thyme for fresh appeal.
Ingredients:
½ pound purple top turnips, green tops removed
½ pound carrots, green tops removed
1 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 peeled shallots
1 cup chicken stock
Juice from ½ lemon
3 tablespoons fresh thyme
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Wash and scrub both the turnip and carrots, then cut into 1-inch-long pieces.
2. Heat butter and oil over medium-high heat in a large sauce pan, then and add shallots, turnips and carrots. Sauté for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until vegetables begin to caramelize.
3. Add chicken stock, and a dash each of salt and pepper. Cover with a lid and turn heat down to low. Let simmer for another 10 minutes, or until stock has mostly been absorbed by veggies. Add lemon juice and fresh thyme, then season to taste with more salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm.
Honey-Glazed Baby Carrots
The inherent sweetness of carrots is further enhanced in this glazed side dish from local chef John Sundstrom’s Lark: Cooking Against the Grain.
Ingredients:
1¼ pounds baby carrots
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 ½ tablespoons honey
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Prepare an ice bath. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Boil the carrots for 2-3 minutes until just tender. Strain the carrots from water and immediately place them in the ice bath.
2. Remove the carrot skin by gently rubbing it off with a dry kitchen towel. (It should come off quite easily.)
3. Heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add honey and butter to the pan and melt together. Add the carrots and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Cook until the carrots are heated through and the honey and butter mixture has formed a sticky glaze. Adjust seasoning to taste, serve hot.
Buttered Radishes
These dipped radishes make for a wonderful starter or snack!
Ingredients:
Radishes, green tops intact
1 pound butter, at room temperature
2½ tablespoons fleur de sel
Method:
1. Gently wash the radishes in ice water, removing any dirt from the greens. Dry them well. Temper the butter by placing it over moderate heat.*
2. Once tempered, season the butter with the fleur de sel.
3. Dip the bottom half of the radishes into the tempered butter. Dip a second time and gently shake to remove any excess butter from the bottom. Place the butter-coated radish on a rimmed baking sheet lined with wax paper. Chill the radishes in the refrigerator until the butter is set.
*To temper butter, it’s easiest to use a double boiler, placing the butter over a pot of boiling water instead of directly heating the butter. Let the butter melt and heat up, then whisk occasionally until it thickens and stabilizes. It’s fully tempered when it has the consistency of melted chocolate.
Tempered-Butter Radishes
These dipped radishes make for a wonderful starter or snack!
Ingredients:
Mixed spring radishes, green tops intact
1 pound butter, at room temperature
2½ tablespoons fleur de sel
Method:
1. Gently wash the radishes in ice water, removing any dirt from the greens. Dry them well.
2. Temper the butter by placing it over moderate heat.* Once tempered, season the butter with the fleur de sel.
3. Dip the bottom half of the radishes into the tempered butter. Dip a second time and gently shake to remove any excess butter from the bottom. Place the butter-coated radish on a rimmed baking sheet lined with wax paper. Chill the radishes in the refrigerator until the butter is set.
*To temper butter, it’s easiest to use a double boiler, placing the butter over a pot of boiling water instead of directly heating the butter. Let the butter melt and heat up, then whisk occasionally until it thickens and stabilizes. It’s fully tempered when it has the consistency of melted chocolate.
Butter-Braised Turnips
Simmered in rich chicken stock, this dish is finished with lemon juice and thyme for fresh appeal.
Ingredients:
1 pound turnips, green tops removed, washed and roughly chopped
1 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 peeled shallots
1 cup chicken stock
Juice from ½ lemon
3 tablespoons fresh thyme
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Wash and scrub the turnips, then cut into 1-inch-long pieces.
2. Heat butter and oil over medium-high heat in a large saucepan, then and add shallots and turnips. Sauté for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the turnips begin to caramelize.
3. Add chicken stock, and a dash each of salt and pepper. Cover with a lid and turn heat down to low. Let simmer for another 5 minutes, or until stock has started to be absorbed by turnips. Add the turnip greens and simmer another 5 minutes, or until all the stock has been absorbed and the greens are wilted and tender. Add lemon juice and fresh thyme, then season to taste with more salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm.
Roasted Baby Carrots with Parsley Compound Butter
Sweet baby carrots are roasted and tossed with our signature compound butter for this simple side.
Ingredients:
1/2 pound baby carrots, green tops trimmed leaving about 1 inch of stem for color
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon parsley compound butter, at room temperature
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Peel baby carrots and place in a bowl. Toss with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.
3. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes, until carrots are tender. Toss with parsley compound butter and serve warm, topped with additional chopped fresh parsley if desired.
Carrot & Apple Saute with Rosemary
This beautiful combination sings with fresh flavor.
Ingredients:
1 bunch carrots, trimmed of greens, peeled and chopped into matchsticks
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tart apples, peeled, cored and cut into ½-inch wedges
2 tablespoons finely-chopped shallots
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Put the carrots in a skillet and add just enough salted water to cover. Cover and bring them to a boil over high heat. Reduce the carrots to medium-low and simmer until the carrots are crisp-tender, 4-5 minutes. Drain and set the carrots aside.
2. Dry the skillet and return it to the stove. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and melt it over medium-high heat. Add the apples and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften, about 1 minute.
3. Add the carrots with the remaining tablespoon butter and rosemary. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they are well combined and the carrots are hot. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.