These 3 ingredient Maple Glazed Speck Wrapped Carrots are a super easy way to kick your carrots up a notch!
Looking to kick your carrots up a notch? These carrots are wrapped in speck and glazed with real maple syrup, then roasted to absolute carrot perfection.
I'm guessing it doesn't take too much imagination to appreciate the goodness that maple glazed speck brings to lovely carrots. You'll want to just pick them up and eat them like candy. Or if you have a little more restraint than me, serve them on a plate for dinner, to make carrots the star of your meal.
These carrots are so easy, the only question you might have is "what the heck is speck?!". If you aren't familiar with speck, here's a quick primer ...
What is Speck?
Speck is thinly sliced pork that looks similar to prosciutto (and comes from the same cut of pork), but prosciutto is cured, while speck is smoked. As such, speck has more of the taste profile of bacon, except bacon comes from pork belly. So in a nutshell ... looks like prosciutto, but tastes like bacon.
Cook's Notes
I believe that Speck is better known in Europe, but it is becoming more widely available and used in North America. When Speck shows up at my local, small-town Ontario Walmart, I know for sure it's gone mainstream here :) That said, if you can't lay your hands on it, you can substitute pancetta rounds or thinly sliced bacon.
When picking out your bunch of carrots, look for a bunch where the carrots are mostly the same thickness, so they will cook at the same rate. Also, look for thinner carrots, where the thickest part of the carrot is no more than about 3/4-inch thick. This will ensure that the carrot and speck cook thoroughly without under or over cooking one of the other.
While maple syrup makes a delicious glaze, it is sugar and sugar will burn and smoke when cooked at high temperatures. That's why I suggesting cooking the carrots/speck part way through before brushing with maple syrup. That said, you may get a little smoke or burning on the pan still towards the end, so be warned if your smoke detector is on the sensitive side. You can minimize the risk by wiping up some of the maple syrup that drips onto the pan before putting it back in the oven.
Test your carrots for done-ness by inserting the tip of a sharp knife near the top of the carrot. It should pass through with little resistance.
Maple Glazed Speck Wrapped Carrots
Ingredients
- 8 thin carrots , greens trimmed to a couple of inches, even sized and no more than 3/4-inch thick at the thickest end
- 8 slices speck, or pancetta rounds
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Wrap individual carrots with one slice of speck, twisting it around and overlapping slightly, leaving the top and bottom part of the carrot uncovered. Place on baking sheet in a single row, leaving a bit of space in between each carrot.
- Roast in preheated oven for 15 minutes, then remove from oven and brush generously with maple syrup and add some freshly ground black pepper on top if you like. Return to the oven and roast another 10-15 minutes, until carrot is tender and speck is crisp. Remove from oven and give one more light brush with maple syrup before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information provided for general guidance only and should not be relied upon to make personal health decisions.
Laura | Tutti Dolci says
What a perfect holiday dish, love the sweet-savory flavors!
Jennifer says
Thanks Laura!
Tricia says
Absolutely gorgeous! Who cares about the holiday turkey when there are these carrots to be had?! Thanks for the explanation of speck - sounds perfect to me. I always try to buy uncured bacon - so this sounds about right. Beautiful veggies!
Jennifer says
Thanks Tricia!
annie@ciaochowbambina says
Oh man these are beautiful! The perfect holiday dish! Pinned!
Jennifer says
Thanks so much, Annie :)
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says
I just caught these on IG Jennifer and my mouth started watering! They look fantastic! Perfect for the upcoming holidays!
Jennifer says
Thanks Mary Ann and yes, Canadian Thanksgiving is this weekend and would be a great addition to a holiday table, for sure!
Dawn says
Three ingredients and I could be enjoying this?? YES please! Love speck and the whole smoky/salty situation it has goin' on. Bet it pairs beautifully with the sweet maple syrup :)
Jennifer says
It's a great combination of flavours! Thanks Dawn :)
sue | the view from great island says
I JUST bought pancetta yesterday, now I'm off to find some fabulous carrots!
Jennifer says
You won't regret it, Sue :)
Chris Scheuer says
Wow, these are the most stunning carrots ever! I'm quite certain I would eat them like candy!
Jennifer says
Thanks Chris :) We gobbled these up in no time!