Butter & Red Wine-Braised Whole Carrots

Occasionally, you come across whole bunches of freshly-picked and visually stunning carrots with their green carrot tops still attached. Buy those perfect carrots, and cook them whole, unpeeled, in butter and then red wine.

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Title: Butter & Red Wine-Braised Whole Carrots

Occasionally, you come across whole bunches of freshly-picked and visually stunning carrots with their green carrot tops still attached. Buy those perfect carrots, and cook them whole, unpeeled, in butter and then red wine.

Ingredients

• 8 perfect, whole, unpeeled, medium-sized carrots (with the green carrot tops trimmed off except for the ½” of green stems closest to the carrot, which are left on)
• 3 Tbsp salted butter
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
• ¼ tsp kosher salt
• 5 sprigs thyme
• ¼ cup red wine

Instructions 

• Cut off most of the green carrot tops from each carrot, leaving on the final ½” of green stems closest to each carrot.
• Wash the carrots under cold water to remove any dirt.
• Add butter and vegetable oil to a large saute pan and turn heat to medium.
• Add the carrots and reduce heat to medium-low.
• Add salt and thyme and continue to cook until the carrots are tender, rotating the carrots every five minutes or so.
• When the carrots are fork-tender, add the red wine and continue to cook for roughly five minutes, or until the alcohol in the wine has cooked off.
• Remove the thyme sprigs and serve.

Notes

These cooked carrots will keep well in the fridge for a few days. Try them as a side dish to serve with roasted meats or fish.
There was one time when I cooked whole carrots like this, and then drizzled in some tahini to the hot pan with the carrots. The tahini emulsion broke immediately, and formed this strange broken tahini crumbly paste. This crumbly tahini paste contributed such a unique flavor when combined with these butter and red wine braised carrots. Definitely not for everyone, it was just an interesting cooking experience.