Skillet Roasting Carrots Is The Simplest Way To Bring Out Their True Sweetness

Carrots are an earthy, sweet snack in their natural state but bloom into something absolutely delicious when heated. Roasting the carrots in the oven may be the obvious choice when it comes time to cook them, but to bring out their true sweetness, a simple skillet roast will do. When roasted, the sugars in carrots are coaxed out by the heat, giving the root vegetable a richer sweetness. The candy-coated bite is incredible, but it doesn't have to come from the oven alone. Roasting carrots in the oven can take up to 40 minutes, which is a long time to separate you from the sumptuously sweet flavor of the vegetables. Heating them in a skillet delivers the same crisp-tender results in less than half the time while allowing you to keep an eye on them as they cook.

After rinsing and drying the carrots, cut them crosswise and lengthwise so they can get a better sear. Heat oil or butter in a skillet and add the carrots, flavoring with salt, pepper, and rosemary. Flip the carrots every now and then, allowing all sides to cook evenly. After around six minutes, the carrots should have developed a crisp, browned crust. Although they're ready to serve at this point, you can give them more depth with a honey balsamic glaze.

While all carrots have a slightly sweet taste, the key to getting more flavor out of carrots is opting for the smaller ones. Tinier carrots have lower starch levels than their larger counterparts, making the toothsome taste stand out more. The tendersweet, Nantes, and solar yellow varieties are also known for their sweetness, but, more than anything, using a good fat to skillet roast your carrots will produce the best results.

Olive oil is always a good choice, but butter provides more taste. Stick with the regular kind, or go with a compound butter as a simple way to flavor your skillet-roasted carrots with ease. Compound butter with garlic, rosemary, and thyme brings balance to the caramelized carrots, making them the perfect side dish for a nice steak dinner. You can also opt for a sweeter version of the fat, using spiced honey butter to imbue the carrots with the warm, rich taste of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Once the carrots are roasted, serve the honeyed veggies with a simple roasted pork tenderloin.