Zanahorias Asado con Salsa de Naranja

Roast Carrots with Ají-Orange Butter

If you use baby carrots in all different colors, this is a very pretty holiday dish, but even the everyday, weeknight variety is fantastic with the buttery citrus sauce. Carrots are sturdy and can take a lot of heat, so you can roast the carrots ahead and rewarm them at whatever temperature you already have the oven going for any other dishes to get a nice brown color. Roasted vegetables like a little breathing room, so use multiple pans, if needed, to roast the carrots.

• 2 pounds carrots (3 or 4 bunches baby carrots or about 12 large)
• Olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Ají-Orange Butter Sauce (recipe)
• 2 or 3 scallions, including the tender green stems, finely chopped
• 2 to 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender top stems

1 Preheat the oven to 475°F and place a rack in the bottom third. If using baby carrots, trim the tops so about 1 inch of the stems remain. Cut larger carrots into pieces about 2 inches long and halve the thicker, stem-end pieces lengthwise so the pieces are roughly the same thickness. Toss the carrots with a few tablespoons of olive oil and a generous sprinkle of salt on one or more rimmed baking sheets.

2 Roast the carrots until they are tender-crisp and caramelized in spots on the bottom, 10 to 15 minutes, depending on how thick they are. Reduce the temperature to 425°F and remove the carrots from the oven. Stir about ½ cup of the ají-orange butter sauce into the carrots, return them to the oven, and roast until tender, around 5 minutes more, depending on their size. Stir the carrots once or twice as they roast to incorporate any sauce that caramelizes along the edges of the baking sheet. Taste and season the carrots with salt.

3 Transfer the carrots directly to a serving dish, along with any tasty caramelized bits from the baking sheet. Drizzle the warm carrots with a few tablespoons of the remaining sauce, and scatter the scallions and cilantro on top.

4 If not serving right away, put the carrots and sauce in a large baking dish and let cool completely. Cover and refrigerate the carrots for up to 2 days. To rewarm, let the carrots come to room temperature, cover the dish with aluminum foil, and bake the carrots at 350°F (or whatever temperature your oven is already set) until warm, about 5 minutes. Stir the carrots occasionally.

Ají-Orange Butter Sauce

Makes about ¾ cup

The ají amarillo peppers in this sauce are very subtle, more to play up the sweetness of the carrots and orange juice than for heat.

• 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, cut into a few chunks
• ¾ teaspoon ají amarillo paste, store-bought or homemade (see page 34)
• 1 (3-inch) sprig fresh rosemary
• 2 fresh sage leaves, or a pinch of ground sage
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ⅓ cup fresh orange juice
• ⅓ cup carrot juice
• 1½ teaspoons potato starch or cornstarch

1 Heat the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until just melted. Stir in the ají amarillo paste. Add the rosemary, sage, and turmeric, then pour in the orange and carrot juices. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-high, and simmer until the sauce has reduced by about a quarter, a good 5 to 7 minutes. Discard the rosemary sprig and sage and strain the sauce if any rosemary leaves are left behind. Return the sauce to the pan.

2 In a small dish, mix together the potato starch and 2 tablespoons of water. Stir the starch mixture into the sauce and bring the sauce back to a low boil. Cook, stirring often, until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 2 minutes. Let cool completely and use right away, or cover and refrigerate the sauce for up to 3 days. Bring the sauce to room temperature and stir well before using.