Rosemary Honey Butter Roasted Carrots

Holy Week. Third one on the blog. Year three of making bacalao guisado on Good Friday and writing about it. You would think I would run out of things to say about salt cod stew. I have not. The dish is the same. The week around it is different. This is the project of writing every week of your life. The dish is the mirror. The life is the face.

This year Sofía came Good Friday morning and helped me cook. I had her in the kitchen for three hours. I taught her the soak. I taught her the flake. I taught her the boning. I taught her the sofrito base. I showed her exactly how to know when the bacalao has absorbed enough. I was passing it forward.

Sofía, at twenty-four, cooked the bacalao under my supervision. I stood at the counter and chopped olives while she managed the pot. She said, "Ma, this is hard." I said, "Yes." She said, "I am going to do this every Good Friday." I said, "Yes, mija." She said, "What if I cannot find the cod in Hartford?" I said, "You can find it at Park Street. I will draw you a map."

After the bacalao was done — it was correct, Mami-approved on Sunday — Sofía stayed for coffee and we talked about her upcoming summer. Her next clinical rotation is at a community health clinic in the South End. Latino population. Spanish-speaking. She will be in her element. She said, "Ma, I want to specialize in Latino community health. Eventually. Not now." I said, "Mija, what is stopping you?" She said, "I need to be a nurse first." I said, "You are going to be an excellent nurse and you are going to specialize in Latino community health. This is what I am going to tell everyone now." She said, "Ma, don't tell everyone." I told four people by end of day.

Easter Sunday was the usual. Miguel Jr., Jenny, Lucas, Isabella, Mateo. Rosa, Carlos, Camila, Andrés (yes, Andrés at six weeks came to Easter, sleeping through the entire thing on Rosa's chest, like a warm bundle of pernil). Ana. Sofía. Mami. Eduardo and me. Thirteen at the table.

Lucas ate ajilimójili on everything. Including his flan at dessert — he tried it once, made a face, and said, "Maybe not on flan." I said, "Mijo, you learn by testing." Camila asked for a piece of pernil and Rosa said, "Mija, you had your piece." Camila said, "I want another." Rosa said, "Okay." A two-year-old eating pernil at Easter. The chain. Wepa.

Between the bacalao on Good Friday and the pernil on Sunday, the Easter table at our house is already full — full of food, full of people, full of noise from a two-year-old who wants a second piece of everything. But every year I still make something simple on the side, something that does not ask much of me but earns its place on the table. These rosemary honey butter roasted carrots are that dish. I put them in the oven, I forget about them for thirty minutes, and I pull them out golden and sweet while Mami sits at the counter and tells me they are almost as good as hers. Almost. That is the highest compliment she gives.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 40 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut on the diagonal into 2-inch pieces (or use whole baby carrots)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped (or 3/4 teaspoon dried)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Flaky sea salt, for finishing
Fresh rosemary sprigs, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven. Heat your oven to 400°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil for easy cleanup.
Make the glaze. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, honey, chopped rosemary, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper until combined.
Coat the carrots. Add the carrots to the bowl and toss well until every piece is evenly coated in the rosemary honey butter mixture.
Arrange and roast. Spread the carrots in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, making sure they are not crowded — crowded carrots steam instead of roast. Place in the oven and roast for 25–30 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until the carrots are fork-tender and caramelized at the edges.
Finish and serve. Transfer to a serving platter. Drizzle with any remaining pan juices, finish with a pinch of flaky sea salt, and garnish with fresh rosemary sprigs if desired. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Rosemary Honey Butter Roasted Carrots — The Easter Table Always Has Room for One More