Recipe: Holiday Cranberry Carrots (with orange and Marsala)

HOLIDAY CRANBERRY CARROTS

"I love carrots for their versatility and sweet flavor as well as for the color contrast they add to any plate. in this festive recipe, bags of baby carrots offer great convenience. Their orange tone is intensified by the cranberries that pop during cooking and blend with the Marsala wine to form an attractive glaze. Orange zest and cardamom add a subtle warmth and richness to the taste."

2 pounds baby carrots*
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 1/2 tablespoons grated orange zest
8 cardamom pods, hulled and seeds pounded in a mortar (or 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom)
1/4 cup dry Marsala wine
3/4 cup fresh cranberries
Salt to taste

Steam the carrots until tender, about 5 to 6 minutes. Do not overcook.

Melt the butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, orange zest, and cardamom. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the Marsala and cranberries, turn the heat to high, and cook until the liquid has evaporated, about 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently. The cranberries will pop during this time. Season to taste with salt.

TO MAKE AHEAD:
This dish may be prepared several hours or even a day ahead of time and reheated over low heat.

*Select the thinnest, brightest carrots you can find. Since they are available all year, this should not be a problem. Older carrots are often large, cracked, and pale colored. They may even be sprouting roots. You can be pretty sure they will be tasteless and tough. I prefer to buy mine with the tops still on as a guarantee of freshness. This way, carrots keep for a couple of weeks in a refrigerator. With few exceptions (such as purees), I don't use frozen carrots because their texture is inferior.

TIP:
Did you know? Another method of peeling carrots, parsnips, or salsify for cooking is to boil or steam them whole for a few minutes, then run them under cold water. Their skins will slide off. Then slice, julienne, or cook them longer, as needed. This works well when there are lots of carrots to be cleaned.

Makes 8 servings
Recipe from: Supermarket Confidential by Joanna Pruess