Fancy Fleur-Spiced Carrots

Serves 4-5.

This recipe comes from Spencer Murdoch, our production supervisor, who’s spent years in restaurant kitchens. He gives carrots an all-star treatment with a buttery sauce and plenty of Fleur Spice that adds jewel-like color and floral-tart flavor.

Notes: This recipe is lovely made with just-harvested, baby carrots: cook them whole in a skillet (instead of sliced and in a saucepan) with a lid. Toasted walnuts or almonds can be substituted for hazelnuts.

1 pound carrots
¼ cup minced shallots (about 1 small) 
3 tablespoons unsalted butter   
1 teaspoon grainy / coarse Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon sea salt, more to taste
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2½ teaspoons Fleur Spice
Freshly ground black pepper 
¼ cup toasted, chopped hazelnuts
Minced parsley or carrot tops, for garnish 

Prep the carrots  Scrub and peel the carrots. Trim off the stem and root ends, then cut them on the diagonal into ⅛-inch thick slices.

Transfer the carrot slices to a medium saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Add the shallots and butter plus ½ cup water. Set the pan over medium-high heat. When the water boils, reduce the heat, cover the pan, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Remove the pan lid and test the carrots — they should be tender but not mushy. If they’re not tender, cover again and simmer for another minute or two.

Add the mustard, salt, lemon juice, and about half of the Fleur Spice to the pan; stir to mix through the sauce. Taste and add more salt or lemon if needed.