Recipes › Carrot › Glazed Carrots with Brown Butter, Orange and Hazelnuts
Glazed Carrots with Brown Butter, Orange and Hazelnuts
Whole small carrots are gently braised in orange juice and stock, then the liquid is reduced to a glossy glaze right in the pan. A finish of brown butter and toasted hazelnuts turns this into something genuinely special — it takes about 25 minutes and the results taste far more impressive than the effort involved.
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Ingredients
- 700 g small carrots, peeled, tops trimmed to 2cm if still attachedIf using large carrots, halve lengthways
- 150 ml fresh orange juice
- 200 ml vegetable stock
- 50 g unsalted butter
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 40 g blanched hazelnuts, roughly choppedWalnuts also work well
- 4 fresh thyme, leaves picked
- ½ tsp fine salt
- 1 pinch flaky sea salt (optional)
Contains: milk, nuts.
Method
- Place the carrots in a single layer in a wide, deep frying pan or sauté pan. Pour over the orange juice and stock, add the caster sugar, fine salt and thyme leaves. Cut 20g of the butter into small pieces and dot over the top.
- Bring to a vigorous simmer over a medium-high heat. Cook uncovered, turning the carrots occasionally, for 15–18 minutes until the carrots are just tender and the liquid has reduced to a syrupy glaze coating the bottom of the pan. Watch closely towards the end — the glaze can catch quickly.About 18 min
- While the carrots are cooking, melt the remaining 30g of butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Continue cooking, swirling frequently, for 3–4 minutes until the butter turns golden brown and smells nutty. Add the hazelnuts and cook for a further 1 minute until the nuts are lightly toasted. Remove from the heat immediately.About 5 min
- Transfer the glazed carrots to a serving dish. Spoon the brown butter and hazelnuts over the top, and finish with a pinch of flaky sea salt if using.
Tips
- The pan needs to be wide enough to hold the carrots in a single layer — if they're piled up, the liquid won't reduce evenly and you'll end up boiling them rather than glazing.
- Once the liquid gets syrupy, reduce the heat slightly and keep a close eye on it. The difference between a perfect glaze and a burnt mess is about 90 seconds.
- Garden carrots with their tops still on look beautiful here — just leave a little of the green stalk on for presentation.
Ring the changes
- Use honey instead of caster sugar and add a small pinch of chilli flakes for a sweet-heat version.
- For a dairy-free version, use a good-quality plant-based butter — it browns well and the result is almost identical.
Keeping it
Best served immediately. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days and reheated gently in a pan with a splash of water, but the hazelnuts will soften.
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