Chantenay carrots are short, stubby and sweeter than the standard kind, and roasting them whole keeps that sweetness where it belongs. They roast in oil until wrinkled and caramelised, then get a final five minutes in butter, honey and wholegrain mustard. A honey and mustard roasted carrot that earns its space on a crowded Christmas table.
Ingredients
- 400 g Chantenay carrots, scrubbed, left whole
- 10 g Neutral oil
- Fine sea salt, to taste
- Black pepper, freshly ground, to taste
- 25 g Butter
- 20 g Honey
- 10 g Wholegrain mustard
- 2 sprigs Fresh thyme, leaves picked
- 5 g Fresh chives, finely sliced
Equipment
- Oven tray
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan (220°C conventional, 425°F).
Scrub the carrots well under cold running water to remove any dirt or grit, leaving them whole. Dry them as thoroughly as you can with a clean tea towel or kitchen paper.
Toss the carrots with the neutral oil and season well with fine sea salt and black pepper.
Spread the carrots across a baking tray in a single layer with a little space between them. Roast until tender all the way through when pierced with a knife, with the skins wrinkled and caramelised at the tips — about 35 minutes.
Remove the tray from the oven and add the butter, honey, wholegrain mustard and thyme leaves. Leave for a moment until the butter has melted, then shake the tray to coat the carrots evenly.
Return to the oven until the glaze is bubbling, sticky and clinging to the carrots — about 5 minutes.
Transfer the carrots to a warm serving dish and scatter over the chives. Spoon over any glaze left on the tray and serve.
Notes & Substitutions
Chantenay carrots: Short, stubby and sweeter than standard carrots, and widely sold in bags in the run-up to Christmas. They need a scrub, not a peel. Standard carrots work, cut into chunky batons of a similar size, but they are less sweet and cook faster — start checking from 25 minutes.
Christmas timing: These are a good fit for the window while the turkey rests. Turn the oven up as the bird comes out, and the carrots are ready by the time it has rested and been carved.
Make ahead: Scrub and dry the carrots in the morning and keep them in the fridge on kitchen paper. Toss with the oil and seasoning just before they go in the oven.
Scaling up: For a bigger table, use more trays rather than piling them onto one, and swap the trays between shelves halfway through roasting so they colour evenly.
Mustard: Dijon gives a smoother, sharper glaze if that is what you have, but you lose the texture of the whole seeds.
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Honey and mustard roasted carrots
COOKED
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Ingredients
- 400 g Chantenay carrots (scrubbed, left whole)
- 10 g Neutral oil
- Fine sea salt (to taste)
- Black pepper (freshly ground, to taste)
- 25 g Butter
- 20 g Honey
- 10 g Wholegrain mustard
- 2 sprigs Fresh thyme (leaves picked)
- 5 g Fresh chives (finely sliced)
Equipment
- Oven tray
Method
Preheat the oven
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan (220°C conventional, 425°F).
Prep the carrots
400 g Chantenay carrots · 10 g Neutral oil · Fine sea salt · Black pepper
Scrub the carrots well under cold running water to remove any dirt or grit, leaving them whole. Dry them as thoroughly as you can with a clean tea towel or kitchen paper.
Toss the carrots with the neutral oil and season well with fine sea salt and black pepper.
Roast the carrots
Spread the carrots across a baking tray in a single layer with a little space between them. Roast until tender all the way through when pierced with a knife, with the skins wrinkled and caramelised at the tips — about 35 minutes.
Give them room. Crowded carrots trap steam between them and stew rather than roast. If they will not fit in one layer with gaps, use two trays.
Glaze the carrots
25 g Butter · 20 g Honey · 10 g Wholegrain mustard · 2 sprigs Fresh thyme
Remove the tray from the oven and add the butter, honey, wholegrain mustard and thyme leaves. Leave for a moment until the butter has melted, then shake the tray to coat the carrots evenly.
Return to the oven until the glaze is bubbling, sticky and clinging to the carrots — about 5 minutes.
Watch the final minute. Honey goes from sticky to burnt quickly at this temperature, and burnt honey turns the whole glaze bitter.
Finish and serve
5 g Fresh chives
Transfer the carrots to a warm serving dish and scatter over the chives. Spoon over any glaze left on the tray and serve.
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