Roasted Carrots with Hot Honey

Carrots already contain plenty of sweetness; roasting simply convinces them to admit it. At 425°F, halved carrots get browned at the edges and tender through the center while olive oil, salt, and black pepper keep the flavor firmly in savory territory. Then hot honey shows up with exactly the sort of unnecessary confidence that makes a simple vegetable side much more interesting. The glaze is just honey warmed with red pepper flakes and butter, which means the heat stays clean and the butter helps the honey coat the carrots instead of sitting in one sticky puddle at the bottom of the platter. Drizzle it on after roasting so the honey does not scorch in the oven, then finish with fresh thyme and flaky salt. The combination is sweet, salty, buttery, herbal, and just spicy enough to keep the carrots from drifting toward dessert. They work on a holiday table, beside roast chicken, or on a random Tuesday when the rest of dinner looks suspiciously beige. Nobody needs to know the “special glaze” took two minutes in a small saucepan.