Easy Marsala Wine Cooked Spring Carrots

I will attempt to provide a well deserved spotlight to this humble vegetable by sharing this recipe for Easy Marsala Wine Cooked Spring Carrots. The incorporation of both braising and glazing techniques will provide you with a side dish that is equally suited for those special occasions or a simple week night meal.

But before we talk carrots, I just wanted to let you know that a group of talented Canadian Bloggers (all Food Bloggers of Canada members) have decided to Bring on Spring... so be sure to scroll to the bottom of the page for some sweet and savory spring inspired recipes! (You can also find us in all the social media by searching: #CDNFoodCreatives). A big thanks to our host Melanie, who can be found at The Refreshanista.

Wash the carrots: For this recipe, we will need to prep the carrots. As you know, carrots are root vegetables and as such there will always be a little bit of dirt to deal with, this is especially true with fall carrots. With spring carrots, you can get away with washing them under cold running water and then just scrubbing them gently to remove all the impurities. If you prefer, you can also peel your carrots. Try to remove just the thin outer layer.

Cut the Carrots: Today, I decided to give my carrots a different look. I have a cute little gadget that creates little ridges when I cut my vegetables. Sometimes, just a little change in the physical appearance is the encouragement required for a picky eater to eat vegetables. Often times, I will just use my knife to simply cut diagonal slices. Remember to always cut the carrots the same thickness so that they will cook equally.

Sauté the carrots: Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan over medium high heat. Add your carrots and shake your pan (back and forth) for a few minutes.

Braise the carrots: In this recipe for Easy Marsala Wine Cooked Spring Carrots, we will be using a technique called braising, which simply means that our carrots will be cooked by partially immersing them in a liquid. You can well imagine that if we use a flavorful liquid, the carrots will absorb those flavors. Today, I decided to use a simple, yet well seasoned vegetable stock as my cooking liquid.  Feel free to experiment with different liquids. Orange juice is another one of my favorites.

You may have noticed the presence of some Italian flat leaf parsley stems. I will often use parsley stems as part of my seasoning while the carrots are braising… a real flavor boost. The stems can easily be removed once you are ready to plate your carrots.

A few final thoughts on braising the carrots: in order for the carrots to properly absorb the cooking liquid, try to use a pan that will accommodate the carrots in a single layer; keep the lid on while the carrots are braising as this will speed up the cooking process; and add the liquid in two additions. This whole process is complete within five minutes due to the fact that these spring carrots cook rather quickly.

Glaze the carrots: Once the carrots are fork tender, add about one tablespoon of granulated sugar, and cook for about two minutes. If you prefer, you can add honey, brown sugar, maple syrup… any sweetener really! You will begin to see some browning. At this point add some Marsala wine and cook, shaking the pan occasionally until the wine evaporates to a glaze. Add some finely chopped parsley and serve.

Origins of the recipe for Easy Marsala Wine Cooked Spring Carrots:

My mom would love to sauté carrots, sprinkle a little sugar and glaze with some cooking wine. When I was young, I always wondered why my mom’s carrots were so tasty and sweet 😉  Only as a young adult did I have an “ah-ha” moment. Oh well, better late than never.

After watching The Food Network for decades, I learned about braising and glazing vegetables. It has since become one of my favorite methods to cook vegetables, especially carrots.

So be on the lookout for this wonderful spring vegetable and try out this recipe for these Easy Marsala Wine Cooked Spring Carrots. Happy Spring everyone♥

Ciao for now!

Maria 🙂

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