Victorian Glazed Carrots

Victorian Recipe: Simple, Local Ingredients

Recipe from "The Secret Garden Cookbook" by Amy Cotler

I have several recipes for glazed carrots, but this one comes from the wonderful Secret Garden Cookbook by Amy Cotler. According to my review on Goodreads, this cookbook embodies the sense of both time and place from the Victorian classic that inspired it. Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden is all about children growing strong by eating fresh local foods and exercising outdoors [read my review on Goodreads].  

The Secret Garden Cookbook contains both recipes and interesting facts about Victorian life, foods, cooking, and social customs. Many of the recipes can be prepared by children, including this one—though an adult should supervise the carrot-slicing. I highly recommend sharing these books with your children, or just reading (or rereading) them yourself!

This recipe can be adjusted to any amount of carrots, and proportions need not be exact. I used about 1-1/4 lbs. small carrots with 1 tbsp. butter, 1 ½ tbsp. packed brown sugar, 2 cups of broth, and a sprinkle of cinnamon. To make this recipe vegetarian, in place of the chicken broth I used Imagine organic vegetable broth, which is rich-textured and carroty, and IMO a taste improvement as well.

I don’t brown carrots, but stop cooking when there is a tiny bit of golden broth left (be careful about reducing the proportion of butter if you plan to brown them). I also use a sprinkling of cinnamon in place of the nutmeg.

Red, Orange & Yellow Carrots Create a Colorful Dish

Victorian Glazed Carrots

serves 2

4 large carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds

1 cup chicken broth, or 1 cup water with a generous pinch of salt (or veggie broth)

1 tbsp. butter

1 tbsp. light or dark brown sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

Ground nutmeg (optional, and I use cinnamon)

Place the carrots, broth, butter, and brown sugar in a heavy-bottomed pan (I use my electric frying pan).

Bring to boil, then reduce heat to a rapid simmer, cooking over medium-high heat until almost all the liquid is evaporated, about 10 – 15 minutes. Continue cooking, carefully stirring or shaking the pan until the carrots begin to brown a little, about an additional 5 minutes. Do not cook too long or they will burn.

Season to taste with salt and pepper, as well as nutmeg (or cinnamon) if you like.