Glazed Carrots

This is Alice Waters's method for glazed carrots.  It's not a recipe, see.  I've used this same method on broccoli and green beans (minus the herbs because I didn't know which ones to use).  The reason this is wonderful is because it makes carrots taste like carrots.  No sauce, no deep-fried anything - they just taste like carrots, which took me off-guard.  That's what carrots taste like?!  Who knew.  And it's quick.

Ingredients:

Carrots, cut in half then quarter lengthwise (don't use mini carrots)

Unsalted Butter

Salt

Fresh Basil (I've tried it with dried and it's not awful, but fresh basil is the way to go), chopped


Directions:

Fill the bottom of a sauce pan (the size will depend on how many carrots you need to make) with your cut carrots.  Arrange them as evenly as you can, but not more than an inch high.  (If it's more than an inch, get a bigger pan.)  Pour water in, coming halfway up the carrots and no higher.  Add pats of unsalted butter, as much as you would use per serving.  Add salt (again, as much as you would per serving).  Put the saucepan on high heat until it boils, then cover and reduce heat to low.  Simmer (covered) for 7 minutes.  Take the lid off and add chopped basil.  Remove from heat and let stand for a few minutes, then transfer the carrots to a serving dish, adding a little of the glaze over the top of the carrots.