Sheet-pan chicken, glazed late

The pan should look lacquered: chicken skin gone deep gold, carrots the color of a late orchard, a wet glaze that catches the light. I roast first with nothing sweet, then brush on dark amber and cider for the last minutes, so the honey stays glossy instead of going black.

Rest it five minutes, then bring the whole pan to the table. One pan. People will reach. This is how I use the dark jar when I want dinner to look like more than a Tuesday, and it is the plate that makes a guest ask what is on the chicken.

Ingredients

• 4 bone-in chicken thighs
• 1 pound carrots, scrubbed and halved if thick
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons Raw Texas Honey — Dark Amber
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Putting it together

1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Toss the chicken and carrots with the oil, 3/4 teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper on a sheet pan. Set the thighs skin-side up.
2. Roast 30 minutes.
3. While that cooks, stir the dark amber, vinegar, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl until the glaze looks even.
4. Brush the glaze over the chicken and carrots. Roast 8 to 12 minutes more, until the chicken is cooked through and the glaze is glossy.
5. Rest the pan 5 minutes, then bring it to the table.

Tips

Watch the last minutes. If the edges of the honey go from gold to dark brown in a hurry, pull the pan. Burnt honey is bitter, and you cannot stir it back. Pork chops or a tray of squash take the same glaze. Keep the last-stretch rule.