Why This Recipe Works: We wanted a technique for cooking whole carrots (currently a popular restaurant dish) that would yield a sweet and meltingly tender vegetable from one end to the other without the carrots becoming mushy or waterlogged. Gently “steeping” the carrots in warm water before cooking them firms up the vegetable’s cell walls so that they can be cooked for a long time without falling apart. We also top the carrots with a cartouche (a circle of parchment that sits directly on the food) during cooking to ensure that they are evenly cooked from end to end.

• 3 cups water
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 12 carrots (1-1/2 to 1-3/4 pounds)
  • Use the larger carrots, and try to get them the same size

1. Prepare you parchment lid by folding 12″-square piece of parchment into quarters creating a 6″-square. Fold the bottom-right corner over to meet the top-left corner; creating a triangle. Fold one more time; right to left; creating a narrower triangle. Cut off 1/4″ of the tip of the triangle (opening a small hole in the center). Measure 5″ from the hole along both edges and cut straight across. (See photo below). Open up paper.
2. Peel carrots. Put 12″-skillet over high burner; add 3 cups water, 1 tablespoon butter, 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring up to a simmer, then remove skillet from burner. Add carrots in a single layer, placing parchment round on top of carrots. Then put a regular skillet cover on top of everything; allowing to stand for 20 minutes.
3. Remove the lid, but leave the parchment, place over high burner until simmering. Reduce burner to medium/low and simmer for 45-minutes until almost all the water has evaporated. The carrots will be very tender.
4. Throw away the parchment. Increase burner to medium/high and continue cooking carrots for 2 to 4 minutes; shaking pan frequently; until they are lightly glazed and there is no more water.