Ingredients
3/4 c. orange juice
1/2 c. water
1 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. brown sugar
Pinch ground cinnamon
Pinch kosher salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp. butter
1 1/4 lb. carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/2" rounds
4 large dates, pitted and quartered
1 tbsp. freshly chopped parsley
Pinch flaky sea salt
Preparation
Step 1In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the orange juice, water, honey, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and pepper.Step 2In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the carrots and dates, and toss to coat. Increase the heat medium-high and add the orange juice mixture. Cook until the liquid is fully reduced and syrupy, about 8 minutes. Poke a carrot with a fork to make sure it’s tender all the way through. (If the carrots need more time add another ¼ cup of water and keep cooking until liquid is syrupy.) Step 3Once the carrots are fork-tender remove the pan from the heat, add the parsley and flaky salt, and serve hot.
The word tzimmes has its origins in Yiddish. To “make a big tzimmes about something” essentially means making a big fuss. Here, there’s hardly any fuss. The carrots and dates are quickly braised in an orange sauce and finished with fresh parsley for a pop of green. In this delicious recipe, the cooking liquid is on the sweeter side for a tzimmes. You’ll combine orange juice with honey and brown sugar, which amplifies the orange’s floral sweetness. This is rounded out by a kick of black pepper, a dash of salt, and the warmth from cinnamon, which brings depth to each bite. Tzimmes often includes raisins or dried plums—aka prunes—but this rendition features caramel-like dates, which soak up the cinnamon-scented liquid as the stew simmers. Medjool dates are great for their nearly butterscotch flavor, while Deglet Noors are a favorite for braising since they hold up well to simmering. Once you’ve gotten the hang of the method, you could swap in other root vegetables like parsnips or sweet potatoes for the carrots and other dried fruit like apricots or prunes for the dates. Since root vegetable cooking times vary, just cook until you can use a fork to test that a piece is tender all the way through, adding water as noted in the method.
