Thanksgiving is less than a week away and if you’re like me, you’re already busy planning your menu. Perhaps you’re serving your tried and true recipes, perhaps you’re trying something new.
This recipe, for Maple Marmalade Candied Carrots, is a combination of the two. A classic candied root vegetable side dish, but in place of the usual sweet potatoes, I substituted carrots for a lighter version that won’t compete for room in your belly with the mashed potatoes and dressing. I added blood orange marmalade and a bit of Dijon mustard to the butter and maple syrup mixture to tone down the sweetness with a bit of tang. The carrots turned out delicious. Rich and decadent, as all sides should be on Thanksgiving, without the starchy heaviness.
Another plus to using carrots in this dish is that you can prep the vegetable portion a day or two ahead, as unlike potatoes, carrots don’t turn brown when cut. If you do choose to prep ahead take the carrots out of the refrigerator an hour before your planned cook time. Letting them get to room temperature will speed up the cooking process. Once the carrots are cut, the sauce takes less than 10 minutes, measuring the ingredients included, then toss in the sauce, spread them out on a parchment-lined sheet pan, and pop that pan in the oven. Plus, it’s an easy clean-up, thanks to the paper-lined pan to absorb any baked-on sauce. Easy preps and easy clean ups are key on Thanksgiving.
Please note, that organic carrots fresh from the Farmer’s Market are best, as they are sweeter and healthier. There is an abundance of carrots both at the Wednesday and Sunday markets. I bought these stunning bunches at the Frecker Farm’s table. I chose thick carrots that I cut in half lengthwise and width-wise.
Whatever you choose to make for Thanksgiving, I wish you a hearty, healthy and joyous celebration.
Maple Marmalade Candied Carrots
3 -4 bunches large carrots, 2.5-3 pounds without the tops
3 T plant-based salted butter
3 T real maple syrup
2 generous T blood orange or regular orange marmalade
1 tsp Dijon mustard
¼ tsp salt or to taste
Fresh cracked pepper to taste
Fresh chopped Italian parsley as garnish
To prep carrots: Cut about a ¼ inch down carrot to remove tops. Cut any straggly side and bottom bits off of carrots. Scrub carrots clean and peel. If carrots are thick, cut in half, lengthwise and width-wise. If they are thin, just cut in half width-wise.
To prep the sauce: Melt the butter in a small saucepan until foamy. Stir in the syrup, marmalade, mustard, salt and black pepper and cook on low until combined. Remove from heat
To roast carrots: Put the carrots in a large mixing bowl. Toss with the warmed sauce. Spread out in a single layer on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast in the upper third of the oven at 400 degrees, about 30-35 minutes, tossing and rotating the pan several times during cooking. They should be softened and a bit browned at this point. Turn up oven to broil, and brown the carrots a bit more, about 5 minutes. All ovens are different. Watch carefully that they don’t burn. Remove from the oven. Let the carrots rest 5 minutes and then plate and top with fresh chopped Italian parsley.
