Butter Braised Carrots with Thyme Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How does Gordon Ramsay cook carrots? ›

Cooking instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan, then add the carrots and parsnips and toss to coat in the oil. Add the thyme, cinnamon, star anise and some seasoning. Cook over a medium heat for 15-20 minutes, turning the vegetables frequently, until golden brown and almost cooked through.

Cut carrots into 1/8 in rounds or 1/4 in dice. In a wide, low pot melt butter over medium heat, add carrots and cook about 3 minutes, stirring frequently until carrots have a "glazed" look.

Although, carrots flavor profiles can change slightly depending on its size, color, and how it was grown. Typically though, if you want to enhance a carrot's flavor, they normally pair well with things such as ginger, garlic, honey, sugar, maple, and citrus fruits like lemon and orange.

Whether used fresh or dried, thyme leaves are fantastic for elevating a variety of dishes, including pasta, soup, roasted vegetables, pizza, sauces and proteins like chicken, fish, pork and beef.

Or, to bring out their fresh, woody flavor, add some anise. If you're roasting your carrots, toss them in olive oil first. This will help keep the moisture in them. To bring out the sweetness in your carrots, season them with orange or lemon juice or a little brown sugar and butter.

No matter which way you cook them, carrots are a healthy choice. Steaming is a slightly better pick since the carrots don't lose as many of their nutrients to the water. (Steaming is also more environmentally friendly since it uses less water.)

The principles used to braise vegetables rely on the same used in any traditional braise: gentle cooking with a bit of liquid in a covered pot until everything is tender, infused with flavor, and bathed in a savory sauce.

Mixing carrots and oranges can be very dangerous. This mix has been known to cause heartburn and kidney damage.

Flavor Enhancements

Use spearmint, marjoram, a small bay leaf, thyme, grated ginger root, chopped chives, dill or parsley.

What not to mix with thyme? ›

Although a variety of herbs (and even flowers, like marigolds and nasturtiums) can often be planted together, certain kinds like parsley, cilantro, tarragon, basil and chives prefer a more moist soil, and should not be planted directly with thyme.

Add thyme early and sparingly

Thyme is a pungent herb and can stand the longer cooking times of soups and stews. Actually, adding the herb early on and leaving it to braise for hours is typically the best use of the herb, as this will allow the taste to infuse the dish nicely. However, always use thyme sparingly.

But now I've perfected how I make them so that I love them just as much cooked as I love eating them raw. The secret is to roast them. Roasted carrots have the best texture, and the flavor is amazing. Roasting draws out the natural sweetness and you get a nice caramelized flavor.

It works best if you add the carrots along with the food you're frying. Otherwise, the carrots might shrivel up and burn before whatever you're frying is finished. You might have to switch out the carrots in between batches of food—again, to avoid burning the carrots and thus defeating the purpose of the tip.

Steaming carrots is also a low-fat cooking method, as no additional oil is required to transform the carrot into a softened bite. Like boiled carrots, steamed carrots are just a little boring. They have a livelier color and more of a tender-crisp bite, but they need to be spruced up to make them enjoyable.

You don't want to soak them, you want to cook them. The prep and method of cooking will determine how long it will take to soften the carrots. Quickest: slice and boil in salted water; done in a few minutes. Best tasting: clean carrots, toss in oil and a little bit of salt.