WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS The cooking liquid becomes your sauce when braising, so the trick to making a great braised vegetable side dish is to create a sauce that coats the vegetables well and infuses them with flavor but also stands on its own. Colorful, sweet carrots served as the anchor here. Slicing the carrots ¼ inch thick ensured that they cooked through evenly and quickly. We found that a mixture of chicken broth and apple cider gave us a sauce base with depth and sweetness that complemented the carrots. Reducing the cooking liquid slightly before the carrots were added and finishing with butter and Dijon mustard gave the sauce a silky texture and some body. Apple and fresh marjoram lent color and bright, fresh flavors.

Serves 6 to 8

Total time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 cup apple cider
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt and pepper
• 2 pounds carrots, peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick on bias
• 1 Fuji or Honeycrisp apple, cored and cut into ¼-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh marjoram or parsley

PREPARATION

1. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in Dutch oven over high heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and just beginning to brown, about 3 minutes.
2. Add broth, cider, thyme sprigs, bay leaves, 1½ teaspoons salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper; bring to simmer and cook to reduce slightly for 5 minutes.
3. Add carrots, stir to combine, and return to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 10 to 14 minutes.
4. Off heat, discard thyme sprigs and bay leaves and stir in apple. Push carrots to sides of pot. Add mustard and remaining 2 tablespoons butter to center and whisk into cooking liquid.
5. Stir to coat vegetable mixture with sauce, transfer to serving platter, sprinkle with marjoram, and serve.