Chestnut Honey Roasted Carrots

I bought chestnut honey at the farmer’s market a while back and while I normally go through the sweet stuff like nobody’s business, this one has me a bit stumped.

Wanting to try a honey that wasn’t the standard miele di acacia (similar to what we can find at groceries stores back in Canada), I decided to try chestnut honey. I also decided that because I go through honey quite quickly, I’d buy the largest jar that was for sale. This was a mistake, or so I thought until now.

Although I tried to add it to my famous chocolate cookies, it was a complete disaster. Far too nutty and pungent for a decadent cookie. That’s when I thought maybe a more savoury use would be a better match. So, I served it on charcuterie boards with hard cheeses. But even there, the chestnut honey was just an alright companion. I had almost given up hope until I realized that honey glazed carrots were always something I loved. Why not add a drizzle and see if the sweet, yet nutty taste of the honey would give some added panache to my roasted carrots?

The results were fantastic and now I think I’ll actually continue buying chestnut honey just so that I can use it in this amazing roasted carrot recipe. There’s a sort of punchy warmth that chestnut honey gives off that is beautiful when paired with carrots that tend to caramelize in the oven.

A simple side dish that you can throw in the oven and forget about, it’s super simple to put together. And lately, I've been all about one-pan dinners given that I’ve started an internship and am busy doing a whole bunch of writing and researching. That said, sometimes when I make this recipe I like to pop in sausages, zucchini, potatoes or even cauliflower to roast along with my carrots. I simply just increase the amount of oil and seasonings so that everything is well-coated and the flavours get distributed evenly!

I'd also like to add that if you're looking for a superb wine pairing to go with this carrot roast, you're definitely going to want to try Cascina Rainero's Terra di Aleramo, which is a smokey oak-aged Barbera with hints of vanilla that really compliments the sweetness of this dish.

I’m a believer that everything is better when it’s roasted. I’m also a believer that everything is also better when there’s a bit of sweetness. Meld those two ideologies together and you’ve got a knock-out dish—at least in my book!

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Chestnut Honey Roasted Carrots

* Makes four servings *

INGREDIENTS

• 10-12 large carrots, peeled and sliced into coins

• 2 cloves garlic, unpeeled

• 2 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 tablespoon chestnut honey

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon pepper

• 1 teaspoon chili flakes

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 400° F.

2. Slice carrots into 1/2" coins and add to a roasting pan along with garlic.

3. Drizzle olive oil, honey, salt, pepper, and chili flakes on carrots and toss to coat evenly.

4. Roast in the oven for 30 to 40 mins and serve.