Cider Glazed Carrots — The Side That’s Always on the Table

Brayden is one hundred and thirty-one weeks old. The pregnancy is at thirty-one weeks. Easter Sunday is March 31. The family will be at Mama’s for the small Sunday-dinner gathering. The cider glazed carrots are the small Easter-side I am bringing.

The cider glazed carrots are a small twist on the standard glazed-carrot side — baby carrots simmered in apple cider, butter, brown sugar, salt, and a pinch of cinnamon, finished by reducing the cider down to a thick glaze. The cider replaces water and brings a small fall-flavor backbone that gives the carrots a more sophisticated character than the standard butter-and-honey glaze.

The technique question on the cider-glaze is the reduction. The carrots cook in the cider-and-butter-and-sugar liquid for about twelve minutes until tender. The cooked carrots are removed to a serving dish. The remaining liquid is reduced over high heat for an additional three to four minutes until it thickens into a small syrup. The thickened glaze is then poured back over the carrots.

Sunday I made the carrots at Mama’s house in the morning. They were on the Easter table at one PM. Mama, Cody, Aunt Linda, Roy, Aunt Patty, Bobby, Hannah (home from college for the weekend), Hayden (driving down from Stillwater for the day), Roy Calloway, plus Harper and Justin and Hadley (Hadley is now fourteen months old and toddling). Fourteen at the table. Brayden was in the high chair. The carrots disappeared first.

The blog’s small Sunday-publish rhythm continues. The catering business has been the small foreground of the small year’s work. The cookbook in its small online-store. The small recurring-clients (Singh family, Yates family, the corporate-luncheon brokerage) anchor the small reliable-revenue stream. The small one-off-jobs round out the small income.

Carol Bryant has been on the small Friday-call rhythm. Carol calls at five PM Tulsa time (six PM Memphis time). The call lasts twenty minutes. The conversation moves through Brayden, the small Bryant-cookbook collaboration, the small Memphis-news. The small grandmother-relationship continues to deepen.

Cider Glazed Carrots

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 2 lbs carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch diagonal pieces
• 1 cup apple cider
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried), for garnish

Instructions

1. Prep the carrots. Peel the carrots and cut them on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces so they cook evenly and look beautiful on the platter.
2. Start the glaze. In a large, wide skillet over medium-high heat, combine the carrots, apple cider, butter, brown sugar, salt, pepper, and cinnamon. Stir to coat.
3. Bring to a boil. Let the mixture come to a full boil, then reduce heat to medium. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 18—22 minutes until the carrots are fork-tender and the cider has reduced to a syrupy glaze coating each piece.
4. Check for doneness. If the glaze reduces too quickly before the carrots are tender, add 2—3 tablespoons of water or additional cider and continue cooking. If carrots are tender but glaze is thin, increase heat and cook 2—3 minutes more.
5. Finish and serve. Transfer to a serving platter, scraping every bit of glaze from the pan. Scatter fresh thyme over the top and serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 88 | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Carbs: 15g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 175mg