This easy, fast cooking process turns carrots into a luxury vegetable. For even better flavor, add the grated zest of an orange or a lemon when about five minutes of cooking time remain. Other vegetables you can prepare this way: turnips, radishes, onions, beets, parsnips, or other root vegetables.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　1 pound carrots, cut into chunks

　　Salt to taste

　　2 tablespoons butter

　　Chopped fresh parsley, chervil, or mint leaves for garnish, optional

　　

Step 1

Put the carrots in a saucepan with a pinch of salt and water to cover them about halfway. Add the butter, cover the pan, and turn the heat to medium-high.

　　

Step 2

Simmer until the carrots are nearly tender, about 20 minutes. Uncover; much of the water will have evaporated. Continue to cook until the carrots are shiny; if they threaten to burn, add a tablespoon or two of water. When they’re done, taste and adjust seasoning if necessary; garnish if you like, and serve.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.