Once You Make Melting Carrots, You'll Never Turn Back To Your Old Ways

Carrots are an indispensable kitchen staple. They're inexpensive, widely available year-round, and have a long shelf life. Packed with nutrients such as beta-carotene, fiber, and potassium, carrots are naturally sweet, to boot. A fibrous go-to workhorse, there are many methods of cooking carrots available, which can be a bit overwhelming. Luckily, there is one clever standout that some say leaves all other preparations behind — melting carrots.

Similar to melting broccoli, melting cabbage, or the original melting veg — fondant potatoes, melting carrots are the latest "it girl" in this viral veggie trend. And just like the others, they live up to their name with a silky, melt-in-your-mouth texture that rivals firmer results and cooking techniques with its deeply-soaked flavor and buttery-smooth tenderness. In a fairly simple two-part process (comprised of quick, high-heat roasting, finished with a flavor-infused braise), this short 10-minute prep, no-fuss oven-baked technique frees you up to tend to other meal components. Let's take a closer look at how to make them.

A winner in both taste and time, it starts with washing, peeling, and halving your carrots to ready them for the oven. (Try cutting them on a bias, resulting in elegant 3-inch ovals, for a more uniform look.) Once sliced, toss them with 3 tbsp of ghee (some folks use one part olive oil to two parts butter). This helps ensure you won't encounter burnt butter solids while avoiding the need to balance olive oil and butter. Don't forget a bit of salt (half to one teaspoon, depending on your taste). This provides a subtly warm, nutty complexity that pairs well with carrots. Then pop them in an oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on how thick your carrots are. Don't forget to flip the carrots halfway through the cook time, too. 

While many viral "melting," veggie recipes tap garlic as their seasoning flavor of choice for the braising liquid, you can really use anything you like, from rosemary, thyme, and Dijon and dill to cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, and maple syrup. The important part is to infuse those flavors into your vegetables with a little broth (veggie or chicken) and lemon, added after the initial cooking time and before placing them back in the oven for their final five to seven minutes.