Honey Glazed carrots with red chilli pepper
Is there anything better than glazed carrots? It’s like candy
Sean and I used to watch the television show Top Chef regularly, which is the only reality show we’ve ever tuned into religiously. We haven’t been able to keep up with it in the last few years, but loved it when we did watch it. Talented young chefs across the United States compete for the title of “Top Chef” through a series of seemingly impossible cooking challenges. I haven’t thought about Top Chef in quite some time — that is, until a few days ago.
After our dinner at Red Rooster in Harlem, I noticed that Top Chef Season 6 contestant Jennifer Carroll was expediting the service! (see second last on your right) (Photo Source: premiumhollywood.com)
Sean and I took our 14-month old Liam for an early dinner on the patio at Red Rooster, Chef Marcus Samuelsson‘s hopping Harlem restaurant. As I was walking through the restaurant after dinner with Liam in my arms, I suddenly stopped — Top Chef’s Season 6 contestant Chef Jennifer Carroll was expediting the service in Red Rooster’s kitchen! For us, Season 6 was by far our most favorite of all, the cast was supremely talented, from Jennifer to Kevin to the Voltaggio brothers. While Jennifer didn’t win, she made it until the bitter end, and made for a fierce competitor; she has among her many distinctions, the title of being Chef Eric Ripert’s protege. Back to Red Rooster. I’m not one to typically do this (and no self-respecting New Yorker does, when encountering celebrities), but I couldn’t help but stand and stare at Chef Jennifer with a big smile. When she caught sight of me and Liam, she smiled back and walked over to us. I told her how much Sean and I had admired her skills and had wanted her to win. She was gracious and lovely, and as we walked home, I chattered on to Sean about how lovely she was in person.
I delight in local and seasonal produce — in this case, it’s Cal-organic’s multicolored young carrots by the bunch. As my mom always says, there is no better artist than Mother Nature — just look at those colors!
When my FreshDirect delivery arrived the next day, I pulled out three tightly wrapped bunches of young multi-colored organic carrots. As I reflected on cooking, then on meeting Chef Jennifer, then on Top Chef, my eyes immediately darted to my cookbooks on the shelf. I knew exactly what I was going to do with those gorgeous carrots. I reached for Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi’s “Tangy, Tart, Hot & Sweet,” which has an eclectic mix of global recipes, many of them very good (not always the case with even the most famous cookbooks). I met Padma here in New York City at a conference in 2008 when she signed a copy for me and Sean. Since then, I’ve made her “Glazed Carrots with Tarragon” and her “Chilli Honey Butter” many times. As I looked at the fresh multicolored carrots in deep orange, yellow, and purple, I figured I could combine her recipes, and came up with this. Honestly, honey glazed carrots with red chilli pepper tastes exactly how it sounds — candied carrots sticky with melted honey, a kick from the cayenne, rounded out by a generous helping of kosher salt. This dish goes with just about anything. Or, better yet, you can just eat them on their own, hot out of the oven.
Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi (Photo Source: amazon.com)
“To Ina and Sean — Best wishes, Padma Lakshmi” (New York City, 2008)
Honey Glazed Carrots with Red Chilli Pepper
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds young carrots (about 3 bunches), peeled with green tips left on, covered with a bit of aluminum foil
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder or ground cayenne powder
- Kosher salt for garnish before serving
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 425F. Place carrots in a single layer on a baking sheet or pan. In a small bowl, combine olive oil, kosher salt, honey, and red chilli powder and whisk until smooth and glossy.
- Pour the glaze evenly over the carrots and coat them gently, using your fingers.
- Bake in oven for 40 minutes, turning once at the 20 minute mark.
- After 40 min, turn the broiler on and let the carrots crisp up for about 5 min.
- Remove to platter, sprinkle with kosher salt, and serve immediately.
Glazing carrots is easy — in this case honey, cayenne pepper, olive oil, and kosher salt, do the trick
Once you peel the carrots, place them in a single layer on a non-stick baking sheet or in an aluminum foil covered baking pan, as shown here.
After you coat the carrots with the glaze, take bits of aluminum foil and cover the tips of the carrots so they don’t burn in the 425F oven. This will retain their green color and look especially nice when you serve them.
Once out of the oven, remove the glazed carrots to a platter, gently remove the aluminum foil tips, and sprinkle them with kosher salt
