Cut the bacon into lardons: First, cut the bacon into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Lay the slices flat and make 1/4-inch slices perpendicular to the striations of meat and fat, so that you are left with little sticks of bacon approximately 1”x1/4”x1/4”. If you can’t find slab bacon, just dice up 5 ounces of regular breakfast-style sliced bacon.

Preheat a roasting pan in a medium-hot wood oven. Meanwhile, peel the carrots and cut them into bite-sized pieces.

Once the pan is warm, add the lardons or diced bacon and cook slowly, stirring often, until the bacon is golden-brown and crispy and a good amount of fat has rendered out. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon, reserving the fat in pan.

Add the carrots to the roasting pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook in the bacon fat, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are caramelized and somewhat soft, probably about 6-8 minutes. When they’re almost done, add the bacon back into the pan, along with the maple syrup and butter. Allow to cook for another 1-2 minutes, until some of the moisture has cooked out of the syrup and the carrots are nicely glazed.

Remove from the oven and serve to even the most picky vegetable hater.