Carrots and Fennel Braised with Orange Zest and Honey Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Author Notes

I pair my homegrown carrots with fennel for a soft contrast to their crunch, adding fennel seeds to brighten the flavors of the dish. Then I add orange zest, orange juice, and honey to accentuate the marvelous carrot-y essence. I braise the duo to gently allow the flavors to meld, then finish the dish by glazing the vegetables with the reduced pan juices and lightly pan-roasting them to caramelize the sugars. —Viviane Bauquet Farre

Test Kitchen Notes

This is a wonderful pairing of flavors: the orange blossom honey, orange zest, and orange juice made the carrots sing. The fennel seeds give not only extra fennel flavor but some texture, too. The freshness of the herbs brings everything together. Great eaten on its own or as a bright and light side for poultry or fish! —Elena-Raluca

What You'll Need

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoonunsalted butter
  
• 2 tablespoonsextra-virgin olive oil
  
• 1 tablespoonhoney (preferably orange blossom honey)
  
• 1 ¹/₂ poundscarrots, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch x 3 inch sticks
  
• 1 fennel bulb, ends trimmed, bulb cut in half, each half cored and cut lengthwise in 1/8”-inch slices
  
• 4 strips of orange zest,– each 1 inch x 4” inch (use vegetable peeler)
  
• ¹/₂ teaspoonfennel seeds, –crushed in a mortar
  
• ¹/₃ cupspring water
  
• ¹/₃ cuporange juice
  
• ¹/₂ teaspoonplus 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
  
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  
• 2 tablespoonscoarsely chopped fennel fronds or dill