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Irish Buttered Carrots (Slieve Na Mbam) is Simple to Make

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Irish Buttered Carrots, also called (Slieve Na Mbam) is a simple dish that tastes delicious. Simmered in milk and butter, they’re sweet, butter, and packed with flavor.

Irish Buttered Carrots, also called (Slieve Na Mbam) is a simple dish that tastes delicious. Simmered in milk and butter, they’re sweet, butter, and packed with flavor.  #OurFamilyTable #easyrecipe #carrotrecipe #Irishrecipe

April 4th is Carrot Day! I feel like they just don’t get the star attention they deserve. Not like asparagus or green beans. You basically get them sautéed with honey and butter or they’re roasted. Maybe you’ll get a puree or mash out of it if you’re lucky. But if you look for carrot recipes, there’s really not much that stands out.

We love carrots in this house. I don’t know why I don’t make them more often. When I do make them, they vanish. There’s none left. I could cook 2 pounds of carrots and we would still eat them all for dinner with no leftovers.

Irish Buttered Carrots, also called (Slieve Na Mbam) is a simple dish that tastes delicious. Simmered in milk and butter, they’re sweet, butter, and packed with flavor.  #OurFamilyTable #easyrecipe #carrotrecipe #Irishrecipe

What is a carrot?

It’s a root vegetable. I think we can all agree about that. They’re the domesticated version of the wild carrot that is native to Europe and Southwestern Asia. It probably originated in Persia where they grew it for leaves and seeds. It took a while before we started eating the tap root. Historians have found seeds as far back as 2000-3000 BC but the first mention of the root isn’t until the 1st century.

Carrots are in the same family as parsnips, which is sort of obvious. But did you know that they’re related to fennel, celery, and celery root? They’re also related to herbs grown for their seeds like anise, caraway, dill, coriander, and cumin. However, they’re also related to giant hogweed, poison hemlock, and Queen Anne’s lace which are invasive and can be toxic.

Irish Buttered Carrots, also called (Slieve Na Mbam) is a simple dish that tastes delicious. Simmered in milk and butter, they’re sweet, butter, and packed with flavor.  #OurFamilyTable #easyrecipe #carrotrecipe #Irishrecipe

Carrots are not just orange. They come in a range of colors from purple to yellow to white. The purple carrots have high levels of flavonoid compounds that make the red, blue, and purple pigmentation in plants. Carrots are white due to pigmentation and lack of carotenoid. These carotenoids are the reason carrots are orange in the first place.

Did you know baby carrots aren’t actually baby carrots? They’re not. Baby carrots are carts cut down into that shape. And it was a worthwhile venture in the 80s. Baby carrots are a very popular snack food. I even feed some to the dogs as treats. They love them!

Irish Buttered Carrots, also called (Slieve Na Mbam) is a simple dish that tastes delicious. Simmered in milk and butter, they’re sweet, butter, and packed with flavor.  #OurFamilyTable #easyrecipe #carrotrecipe #Irishrecipe

What are Irish Buttered Carrots?

Also known as Slieve Na Mbam, they’re carrots cooked in milk and butter. Cream is added and the sauce simmers until thickened. Some recipes call for egg yolks to thicken the sauce. I opted for simmering the sauce until reduced and then adding a little slurry to thicken it up a little more.

I don’t know the history of the dish. And I think Slieve Na Mbam means mountain of women. So, I’m not sure how that translates into carrots cooked in cream and butter. But it’s also the name of place so maybe the recipes originated from there? I can’t find much history about this recipe. But what I do know is that it’s simple and simply delicious.

Irish Buttered Carrots, also called (Slieve Na Mbam) is a simple dish that tastes delicious. Simmered in milk and butter, they’re sweet, butter, and packed with flavor.  #OurFamilyTable #easyrecipe #carrotrecipe #Irishrecipe

How do you make Irish Buttered Carrots?

Normally I don’t peel carrots. I just scrub them really good with a food brush. But this time I peeled them to make them look pretty for you. You can keep the carrots whole or slice them in half lengthwise. If you keep them whole, make sure you put enough milk in the pan to cover the carrots. Or else you can flip them halfway through the cooking time. OR you can cut them into large chunks. They’re your carrots. Cut them however you want!

I put the carrots, garlic, and bay leaves in the pan. Some traditional recipes call for thyme. Fresh thyme would be another good aromatic. You don’t want something overpowering like rosemary in there. You wouldn’t be able to taste the subtle flavors of the carrot if you do. I added the butter and milk to the pan and let the carrots simmer for about 20 minutes.

Irish Buttered Carrots, also called (Slieve Na Mbam) is a simple dish that tastes delicious. Simmered in milk and butter, they’re sweet, butter, and packed with flavor.  #OurFamilyTable #easyrecipe #carrotrecipe #Irishrecipe

I took my carrots out of the pan when they were just starting to become tender. I didn’t want them to overcook because the carrots will go back into the sauce. Then I added the cream and simmered the sauce until it was reduced and thickened. If you want it to be thicker, then add a slurry or egg yolks like I talked about above.

Once the sauce thickens, I added the carrots back to the pan and removed the garlic and bay leaves. And any other aromatics you added. When the carrots are warmed up it’s time to eat! Just make sure to garnish the carrots with parsley. The bright flavor of the parsley rounds out the richness of the cream sauce and the sweetness of the carrots.

Irish Buttered Carrots, also called (Slieve Na Mbam) is a simple dish that tastes delicious. Simmered in milk and butter, they’re sweet, butter, and packed with flavor.  #OurFamilyTable #easyrecipe #carrotrecipe #Irishrecipe

What do Irish Buttered Carrots taste like?

So sweet. My carrots tasted super sweet. And then there’s the aromatic cream sauce. It has a hint of garlic in there. The bay is even more subtle. I find it deepens the existing flavors in the dish without being obvious.

And then there’s the cream sauce. It’s rich and slightly salty with the butter in there. Preferably Irish butter. The pinch of nutmeg, in my opinion, is always required with a cream sauce. It really does heighten the flavor in the cream sauce. I don’t know how that works, but it does. Trust me.

Irish Buttered Carrots, also called (Slieve Na Mbam) is a simple dish that tastes delicious. Simmered in milk and butter, they’re sweet, butter, and packed with flavor.  #OurFamilyTable #easyrecipe #carrotrecipe #Irishrecipe

The delicate flavor of these Irish butter carrots would be great with fish or even chicken. Maybe not beef because that might be a little too rich. Lamb would be delicate enough to pair with these carrots. Especially they’re chops maybe marinated in garlic. Yes, I think that would be delicious!

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Irish Buttered Carrots, also called (Slieve Na Mbam) is a simple dish that tastes delicious. Simmered in milk and butter, they’re sweet, butter, and packed with flavor. #OurFamilyTable #easyrecipe #carrotrecipe #Irishrecipe
Yield: 4

Irish Buttered Carrots (Slieve Na Mbam)

Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Irish Buttered Carrots, also called (Slieve Na Mbam) is a simple dish that tastes delicious. Simmered in milk and butter, they’re sweet, butter, and packed with flavor.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound peeled carrots
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 3 cloves peeled garlic
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • Pinch ground nutmeg
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Instructions

    1. Cut the carrots in half lengthwise.
    2. Put the carrots, garlic, and bay leaves in a skillet and pour the milk on top.
      Simmer 20 to 30 minutes or until the carrots are fork tender. Remove them and keep them warm.
    3. Add the cream and the nutmeg to the pan and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. If you want your sauce to be a little thicker, add a flour and water slurry. Remove the bay leaves and garlic before adding the carrots back to the pan. Simmer in the sauce until warm.
    4. Serve garnished with chopped parsley.

Nutrition Information

Yield

4

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 295Total Fat 24gSaturated Fat 15gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 7gCholesterol 71mgSodium 214mgCarbohydrates 16gFiber 4gSugar 9gProtein 5g

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12 Comments

  1. We love carrots too and what not to love in this dish! Carrots cooked in milk and butter sounds heavenly and on top when served with creamy sauce is just divine. Love it!

  2. The creamy sauce with the garlic, bay leaves and pinch of nutmeg is just heavenly with these carrots.

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