Carrots and honey go together like…like…well, honey and carrots. They are good pals, close and gossipy. Throw carrots into some browned butter and they become nutty, too. Right up my alley…. This is a quick and almost elegant side dish. The carrots are “poached” in browned-butter…sort of. It’s easier to understand if we just get on with the recipe.
To make the browned-butter, chose a heavy bottomed pan (with a lid).
The butter is going to brown, slowly, over medium-low heat. It will have a lovely nutty aroma. Be careful, as when you get to the point where the milk solids are browned, burned is just around the corner. There’s no coming back from that. You’ll have to start over…but that won’t happen, because you aren’t going to walk away from the kitchen (yes, The Goddess has done such egregious things!). 
Now, you’re going to add the carrots, sprinkle with a smidgen of allspice, toss them in the butter and pop the lid on. About every 90 seconds, give them a gently toss (or stir with a wooden spoon), pop the cover back on, and continue in this manner until they are just tender and have picked up a bit of color, about 5-6 minutes, depending on the size/type of carrots. 
Drizzle the honey over the carrots, toss to coat well, cover and continue to cook until they are a bit syrupy. Sprinkle with salt and serve.
Brown Butter-Honey Glazed Carrots
These can be made a couple of hours ahead and reheated.
- 1 pound carrots, peeled and sliced into batons (or use baby carrots)
- 3 tablespoons butter
- Tiny pinch of ground allspice (or more if you wish)
- 2-4 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Choose a heavy-bottomed pan (with a lid) that will hold the carrots easily (you don’t want the carrots packed into a pot that’s too small—they may cook unevenly). Place the pan over medium-low heat; add the butter. Cook, watching the butter very carefully until it browns and has a nutty aroma. Immediately add the carrots; sprinkle with the allspice. Stir to coat the carrots completely with the brown butter. Cover, lower the heat and continue to cook over low heat, stirring or tossing them frequently until they begin to soften slightly, about 3 minutes for sliced carrots and about 5 minutes for whole baby carrots. Keep tossing or stirring the carrots occasionally. You want them to brown slightly, but still be al dente; this takes about 3-6 minutes, depending on the size of the carrots. Season with salt and pepper and the pinch of allspice. MAKE AHEAD: The carrots can be prepared up to this point; leave at room temperature until serving. Reheat and continue with the recipe.
While the carrots are still hot, drizzle with honey; toss to coat. If you want them to be more caramelized, then cook them a bit more, but watch them carefully, as they can burn quickly.
Serve as a side with chicken, fish, and steak or roast beef.
NOTE: If you prefer, omit the honey and use maple syrup or stir orange marmalade or apple jelly into the carrots. The amount of sweetness will vary depending on how sweet the carrots are and how sweet you want them to be.
Brown Butter-Honey Glazed Carrots Recipe©Marcia Lahens 2020. All rights reserved.
Goddess Cooks 