Name: Sous Vide Honey-Glazed Carrots with Lemon and Thyme
Total time: 2 h 25 min
Ingredients: 1 pound carrots , peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced ½ inch thick on bias; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter , plus 2 tablespoons cut into 2 pieces and chilled; ¼ cup chicken broth; 2 tablespoons honey; 4 teaspoons lemon juice; 8 sprigs fresh thyme; Salt and pepper; 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

Why This Recipe Works

Traditional recipes for glazed carrots result in carrots that are unevenly cooked at best, or, in dire cases, supermushy. Either way, their flavor tends to be mild and watered down. But when cooked in a sealed environment, carrots become sweeter, more aromatic, and more intense versions of themselves. Gone is the evaporation of aromas that happens during braising or the dilution of flavor that occurs when carrots are blanched. And to (carrot) top it all off, when cooked sous vide, they come out perfectly even and just tender. To give our carrots a boost, we added butter, honey, lemon, thyme, and a little chicken broth to the bag. All those aromatics and liquids formed the base of a shiny, buttery glaze that coated each and every piece in more carroty goodness. Even for the glazed-carrot skeptics out there, it's hard to say no to this dish.

Before You Begin

Be sure to double bag the carrots to protect against seam failure. Carrots have a tendency to float when placed in a sous vide water bath, which can lead to uneven cooking. Use weights to make sure the carrots are fully immersed during cooking. For more about sous vide cooking, refer to our sous vide guide.

Instructions

Using sous vide circulator, bring water to 190°F/88°C in 7-quart container.

Place carrots, 2 tablespoons butter, broth, honey, lemon juice, thyme sprigs, and ¼ teaspoon salt in 1-gallon zipper-lock freezer bag. Seal bag, pressing out as much air as possible. Place bag in second 1-gallon zipper-lock freezer bag and seal. Gently lower bag into prepared water bath, weight bag until carrots are fully submerged, and then clip top corner of bag to side of water bath container, allowing remaining air bubbles to rise to top of bag. Reopen 1 corner of zipper, release remaining air bubbles, and reseal bag. Cover and cook for 1 to 2 hours.

Drain carrots through fine-mesh strainer set over 12-inch skillet; transfer carrots to bowl and discard thyme sprigs. Bring cooking liquid to simmer over medium-high heat and cook until reduced to 2 tablespoons, 5 to 7 minutes. Off heat, whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons chilled butter until mixture is smooth and glossy. Add carrots and chives and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.