It’s Fat Tuesday in TinyKitchenland and we’re making Bourbon Street Glazed Carrots! Mardi Gras has begun! The funny thing is that for the longest time I didn’t realize that Mardi Gras is actually French for…you guessed it…Fat Tuesday. (Hey, we’re a multi-faceted operation here at Tiny Kitchen Big Taste…offering the best in great food and basic French.)
Despite having gone to college and law school in the South, I have never once gone to Mardi Gras…so I have no personal stories to share about that…disappointing, I know. Do you? If you do, be sure to share your experiences in the comments below?
Despite never partaking in Mardi Gras myself, I have been to New Orleans and I have tasted good ol’ Kentucky Bourbon, so I do know something about something that makes for a great bourbon-infused glazed carrot recipe.
Family Time in NOLA
In college, I had many friends from Mobile, which I learned from them happens to be the location of the first organized Mardi Gras celebration in the US….way back in 1703, a year after Mobile was founded. According to Mobile Chamber of Commerce, in 1857, the Mobile members of the Cowbellian de Rakin Society, which was formed in 1830, traveled to New Orleans and assisted with the formation of the Krewe of Comus, which is considered New Orleans’s most prestigious Mardi Gras society. Just a few years later, the first recorded Mardi Gras parade took place in New Orleans in 1837.
Despite its origins, when most people hear Mardi Gras, they think New Orleans. Perhaps it’s the craziness of Bourbon Street that gets all the press. We’ll just leave that there.
I am under a Cafe du Monde beignet spell…
…or maybe this is just my seventh one.
One thing we can all agree on is the fact that New Orleans definitely corners the market on some great food.
I love me some of the Cajun faire you can get in New Orleans…mmmm, mmm. The best of the best. I could spend days there just eating my way through the city. Of course, I love seafood so New Orleans makes me happy: Crawfish Etouffee, Jambalaya, Gumbo, Shrimp Po-boys…I should just stop this blog now and book a ticket to New Orleans. I’m so hungry now.
But there is more than just great seafood…the Italian Muffulettas (with that addictive olive salad) hails from New Orleans…and who can pass up Brennan’s Banana Foster or a plateful of those famous Café du Monde beignets and chicory coffee. Um…not me.
As you can tell, I love anything New Orleans, especially the spiciness of the food. And that’s precisely where I got the name Bourbon Street Glazed Carrots gets its name. It’s got a great sweet bourbon-infused glaze that gets a kick from the Cayenne pepper. A little sweet, a little spicy! The spice is not over-powering by any means…but if you are averse to spice, then just leave it out. The bourbon flavor of the glazed carrots is enough to make this dish a sure favorite.
Now, you might wonder why the Bourbon in your cabinet says Bourbon Whiskey. Well, American Whiskey is made up of a mash of grains and whichever grain is used determines what the Whiskey is called. Here’s a little cheat sheet, straight from the US Code of Federal Regulations Chapter 1, Section 5.22:
- Bourbon whiskey—made from mash that consists of at least 51% corn (maize) and aged in new charred oak barrels.
- Corn whiskey—made from mash that consists of at least 80% corn and is not aged, or, if aged, is aged in uncharred or used barrels.
- Malt whiskey— from mash that consists of at least 51% malted barley
- Rye whiskey—made from mash that consists of at least 51% rye
- Rye malt whiskey—made from mash that consists of at least 51% malted rye
- Wheat whiskey—made from mash that consists of at least 51% wheat
If you’re a total nerd like me, you’ll get a kick out of the unabridged version HERE!
Who knew all that was written down and so technical? Now YOU do…and you can just casually throw it into conversation when you make these glazed carrots.
What is really going to impress is this side dish. A quick one to prepare, it pairs great with a pork loin or baked chicken. You could even have it as a Thanksgiving side if you wanted one with a little bit of flair.
Can’t wait for your to try these amazing bourbon glazed carrots! And as they say at Mardi Gras, LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL!
Bourbon Street Glazed Carrots
Ingredients
SO WHAT YOU'RE GONNA NEED IS:
- 1/2 lb. Carrots
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 1/4 cup Maker’s Mark Bourbon Whiskey
- 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon Thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon Red Wine Vinegar
- To taste Cayenne Pepper
- To taste Salt
- To taste Pepper
- 1 Tablespoons Italian Flat Leaf Parsley (for garnish)
YOU'LL ALSO NEED:
Instructions
- Peel Carrots with Vegetable Peeler. Cut off the ends and tips and cut Carrots into 2 inch segments. If they are large Carrots, cut lengthwise in halves or quarters.
- Add 1 Tablespoon of butter to a Frying Pan over medium-high heat.
- Let Butter melt and add Carrots. Cook until Carrots start to caramelize on all sides.
- Add Red Wine Vinegar and Bourbon. Let reduce by half.
- Add remaining Tablespoon of Butter and Brown Sugar. Cook until Brown Sugar dissolves.
- Add cayenne pepper.
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