Julia Child’s Butter Braised Carrots
A late-night Reddit rabbit hole got me reading about other people’s experiences maturing into food tastes. Were there things you didn’t eat as a child that you enjoy now as an adult?
Survey says a LOT of people like beets now. Maybe because they were forced to eat them as kids? I had the opposite experience. Root vegetables were shunned in my household because THEY CONTAINED CARBS AND SUGAR AND THAT IS THE DEVIL (if you’re trying to lose weight).
My mom would have made me eat beets and carrots if she’d been given the OK to make them for dinner. But out of all the root vegetables, carrots somehow got a pass. Cooking them? Roasting them? Heating them up? Totally off-limits. They were only allowed raw, as a potato chip replacement.
I can still hear my mom’s ghost shouting from my childhood kitchen: “GO EAT SOME CARROTS!”
My algorithm switched into root vegetable mode, and forty-five-year-old me (with my readers on!) watched a young man make Julia Child’s Butter-Braised Carrots on TikTok. And I was like, “You know what? Hell, yeah.” (My child will cringe at that reference.)
I made the carrots two days later and…
THEY DID NOT DISAPPOINT.
The best part? No fuss. Just simple ingredients you can set and forget: butter, water, salt, a little bit of sugar, and pepper. WOW. One of the greatest ways to use up that bag of long-forgotten carrots. (See also: carrot coconut soup)
Don’t let anyone tell you they aren’t good for you. Also, maybe put them on your brunch menu for Easter? My Mom would have loved them.
I had ours with Sol Food Chicken and a salad the other night(see above!).
Here’s what you need:
Put it allll in a medium saucepan.
Goodbye, butter! You sure do enhance carrots!
I’m gonna watch you do your magic.
And done!!!!! All that boiling reduces the liquid and makes the carrots so tender and delicious.
Let’s add some finishing touches! Stir the remaining butter in. Top with Italian parsley and a crack of pepper.
mmmmmm braised carrots.
Julia Child’s Butter Braised Carrots
makes 4 servings
- 1 1/2 lbs carrots, peeled and quartered or sliced (about 5 1/2 cups)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons salt butter, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- pinch of pepper
- chopped parsley, for serving
Combine carrots, sugar, water, 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, and salt in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil.
Cover and boil slowly for 30-40 minutes or until the carrots are tender and most of the water has evaporated. Stir in remaining butter, add chopped parsley and season with pepper. Serve hot.
