Ingredients

• 16 carrots with tops (you can tell how fresh the carrots are by the tops), not more than 3/4 inch in diameter, peeled and trimmed with 1 inch of top left on
  
• 1 teaspoon sugar
  
• ¹/₂ teaspoon salt
  
• 1 ¹/₂ teaspoons white wine vinegar
  
• 1 bay leaf
  
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
  
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  
• 1 or more grinds of white pepper
  
• 6 Bibb lettuce leaves, larger ones torn in half