Ingredients (4 servings)
- 8 medium carrots, peeled ( I prefer to use the baby carrots)
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- ¼ cup honey
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- (Optional garnish: fresh thyme, parsley)
Method & Commentary
1. Preheat & prep
Preheat your oven to 180 °C
Peel the carrots and trim the ends. Leave them whole or cut lengthwise if they’re thick, so they roast evenly.
In a baking dish (or roasting pan), toss the carrots with olive oil until well coated. Drizzle the honey over them, then sprinkle salt and pepper. Toss gently so the carrots are uniformly glazed.
2. Roast
Place the tray in the preheated oven. Roast until the carrots are just tender, approximately 30 minutes.
Check with a fork: it should pierce easily with slight resistance. At this stage, the honey glaze is warm and starting to deepen in color—but it’s not fully caramelized yet.
3. Broil to finish (added step)
Why broil?
The broiler delivers intense direct heat from above. It’s useful for caramelizing the honey glaze and adding a golden, slightly charred edge to the carrots—without overcooking their interiors.
When to broil?
After the internal roasting is done (step 2), switch your oven to broil (high). Move the tray to the top rack, about 8–10 cm (3–4 in) from the broiler element.
How long to broil:
- Broil for 2 to 4 minutes, watching carefully.
- If one side browns faster, rotate or flip the carrots.
- Stop once you see bubbly, golden edges (don’t let the honey burn).
The goal is a crisp, caramelized glaze, while preserving a tender interior.
4. Serve & garnish
Remove from oven. Optionally sprinkle fresh thyme or chopped parsley for color and herbal brightness. Serve hot.
If any carrots were less caramelized, you can always broil them a little longer at the end—but always watch closely.
Serve with roast chicken or roast lamb
Tips & Variations
- Add honey late. If you add honey too early under high heat, it may burn. That’s why a broil finish (rather than broiling the whole roast) gives you control over caramelization without risk.
- Even sizing. Cut carrots to uniform thickness so they roast and caramelize at the same rate.
- Use a shallow tray. A shallow rimmed baking sheet helps with browning (less steaming).
- Alternate sweeteners. Maple syrup works too, though it browns faster—so you may need to reduce broil time.
- Flavor additions. In your blog version, you might offer optional additions like a pinch of cayenne, a splash of balsamic vinegar at the end, or fresh herbs.
