Roasted Carrots

"Roasting carrots draws out their natural sugars and intensifies their flavor, but too often carrots shrivel up and turn jerky-like under the high heat of the oven. We wanted roasted carrots with a pleasingly al dente chew and earthy, sweet flavor. To compensate for the oven’s arid heat, we tried adding liquid to the roasting pan. While our carrots turned out moist, they weren’t browned and lacked the intense roasted flavor we wanted. Our science editor then explained that no additional moisture was necessary. While a carrot’s hard, woody structure doesn’t suggest it, the average carrot is actually 87.5 percent water by weight. For our next test we tossed the carrots with melted butter, spread them onto a baking sheet, and covered the sheet tightly with foil. We roasted the carrots, covered, just until softened, then we removed the foil and continued to roast them to draw out their moisture and brown them. The result? Rich-tasting, tender carrots with a nutty flavor. Best of all, the technique worked just as well when we paired the carrots with other roasted root vegetables: parsnips, fennel, and shallots...."