What started out long, long ago as a slim, slightly bitter, woody purple root in Southeast Asia eventually developed, only relatively recently, into the ubiquitous crunchy sweet orange carrots we now know. Our ancestors had both yellow and white carrots; in Japan today, most carrots are red. Here we call big fat ones horse carrots or winter carrots, and horses really do love them. But they’re also great for making stock, and sometimes even the big ones can have their charm, slow-roasted or long-simmered in a chicken stew. It stands to reason that carrots with their green tops attached are the freshest.
Those peeled “baby” carrots sold everywhere are to be avoided—they’re actually just junk commodity carrots shaved down into homogeneity, detached from their carrotness, and dipped in lord knows what to keep them from spoiling in their little plastic bags. And they give kids the wrong idea about food, even if they seem convenient. Real carrots, no matter their size, are something to celebrate, be they raw, roasted, or braised.
North African Carrot Salad with Preserved Lemon
I never tire of this type of Moroccan-spiced carrot salad. It doesn’t take long to hand-slice the carrots into fine julienne, and I enjoy that quiet, pleasant task, but it’s quicker to use a mandoline or a food processor fitted with a julienne blade. Preserved lemons have a delightful aroma and flavor. They’re easy to pick up at Middle Eastern groceries and some supermarkets, usually near the olives, where you can buy just one or two. (When you get hooked on them, you can make your own, but it takes a month for them to be ready.) They are pickled in salt so they must be well rinsed and finely diced to avoid a too-salty salad. Scrape out the interior pulp and use just the skin.
1 small shallot, finely diced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon grated or minced garlic
2 tablespoons diced preserved lemon (from about ¼ preserved lemon)
Pinch of ground cinnamon
Pinch of cayenne
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
¾ pound medium carrots
Salt and pepper
½ teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and coarsely ground
2 tablespoons thinly sliced chives
To make the vinaigrette, combine the shallot, lemon juice, garlic, and diced lemon in a small bowl. Add the cinnamon and cayenne. Stir in the olive oil. Set aside for at least 10 minutes for the flavors to mingle.
Meanwhile, peel the carrots and cut into fine julienne. You should have about 3 cups. Put in a medium bowl.
Season the carrots with salt and black pepper, add the vinaigrette, and toss well. Let marinate for 5 to 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
Pile the carrots onto a serving platter. Sprinkle with the cumin and chives. Makes 4 servings
Yellow Carrots à la Crème (Creamy Buttered Carrots)
With the abundance of multicolored carrots available at the market, you might think it was always thus. In fact, the common orange-colored carrot is a relatively recent member of the species, developed in the Netherlands about two hundred years ago. Previous to that, most carrots in the Western world were white or yellow, while carrots in Asia were mostly red. Even if you can’t find yellow ones, this is a good way to cook all kinds of carrots, though purple carrots are better candidates for roasting.
1½ pounds small to medium yellow carrots
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup crème fraîche
Tarragon leaves
Fresh dill
Black pepper
Peel the carrots and cut them into 3-inch batons (if the carrots are small, halve them lengthwise). Rinse well and drain. Larger carrots may need quartering.
Put the water and salt in a heavy saucepan over high heat. Add the carrots, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a brisk simmer and cook, covered, for 5 minutes. Remove the lid, add the butter, and cook, uncovered, for 3 to 5 minutes more, until tender.
Raise the heat and boil away most of the remaining liquid. Stir in the crème fraîche and cook for 1 minute more. Transfer to a warm serving dish and garnish with tarragon leaves, snipped dill, and freshly ground black pepper. Makes 6 servings
Other Carrot Thoughts
This easy recipe and method may be used as a template. Substituting other flavors, you can change the personality of the dish at will. For instance, season them with the spices from the North African Carrot Salad on the previous page. Another choice could be a squeeze of lemon and a fistful of chopped fresh herbs.
Roasted Coconut Carrots
For a dish of carrots with brilliant flavor, roast them (which will concentrate their natural sweetness) with aromatic coconut oil. Cilantro, mint, hot pepper, and lime ensure there is nothing one-dimensional about this dish. Chop the herbs just before serving for the freshest flavor.
1½ pounds medium carrots
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1 red Fresno or green serrano chile, finely chopped (seeds removed if desired)
2 tablespoons chopped mint
1 cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems
1 lime, halved
Fresh coconut slivers (optional)
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Peel the carrots and cut into 2-inch batons. Put them on a baking sheet, season well with salt and pepper, and drizzle with the coconut oil. Spread out the carrots and roast, uncovered, until they are lightly browned and tender when pierced, 20 to 25 minutes. (The carrots can be roasted up to 3 hours in advance and held at room temperature, then reheated.)
Transfer the hot carrots to a serving dish. Add the chile and mint and toss to distribute. Sprinkle with cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice and top with the coconut slivers, if using. Makes 6 servings