Ten things to do with carrots
Carrots are, by far, the most popular vegetable in this household. No question. We have carrots at least twice a week, but more than that, carrots are the favorite human food of one of Alex, one of our parrots. My true love says over and over that they are her favorite veggie. Me, I like carrots but I love their versatility. One of the reasons I can serve carrots two or three times a week is that they are so adaptable to different taste combinations and preparations and that let me to today’s blog.
I made a completely off the cuff carrot dish tonight that got me thinking about how many ways I’ve worked carrots into dinner and within a minute I came up with ten different preparations. That’s being conservative, too, because several of these preparations are basic configurations that can be developed in dozens of different ways. So here’s a quick list, with some recipes to follow.
1) Braised carrots. This is really the base preparation. I never boil or steam carrots any more because it’s too hard to judge when they are done, but this technique is just about foolproof. Cut the peeled carrots in 1/4 inch discs and put them in a saucepan. Add enough water to come about halfway up the carrots, partially cover, and turn the heat up to high. When the water is gone, the carrots are done perfectly. Now you can add flavor, and there are dozens of ways of making this work. I’ve gone with a touch of maple syrup; maple syrup and soy sauce; olive oil, lemon juice, and za’atar; olive oil, sherry vinegar, and herbes de provence; and well, you get the idea. Let your imagination run wild.
2) Roast carrots. Roasting carrots may be even more classic than carrots cooked with hot water and they are equally simple to prepare. Most recipes suggest a much longer cooking time than I find necessary but I precut my carrots before roasting. Sprinkle with olive oil, salt, and pepper before popping into a 425º oven. After ten minutes, toss them about a little with tongs or a spatula and return to roast another five minutes. The results are sweet and satisfying even without additional seasoning, but some rosemary, sage, Italian herbs, or smoked paprika can add some interesting notes.
3) Meat stews. What is a beef (or lamb) stew without carrots? The quick way is to add carrots, onions, celery, and maybe some other vegetables to the stock with the meat, simmer, and serve altogether. You really can’t beat that simplicity, but if you want to kick it up a notch, try it in two phases. Sear the meat, sauté the onions, carrots, and celery, add the liquid (I like a combination of a hoppy ale and beef stock) and simmer for an hour or so. Then pull the meat out and run the rest through a blender or food mill to puree. Add the meat back in and add more vegetables (carrots, potatoes, pearl onions, turnips, parsnips, etc.) and simmer for another 30-60 minutes. The stock will be thicker and richer and the added vegetables will retain some of their original texture and flavor.
4) Bistro salad. Nearly every bistro I’ve visited in Paris has this on the menu in some form. Grate carrots and toss with olive oil and lemon juice. Add salt, pepper, raisins, chopped walnuts, and if available, fresh tarragon. That’s it.
5) Carrot ginger soup. This is a beautiful soup that is incredibly (well almost – see below) easy to prepare. Sauté some onions in olive oil, add a pile of chopped carrots, ginger, and chicken stock and simmer until the carrots are soft. Puree. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and some fresh herbs – dill would be a good choice. What makes this hard work is the ginger. You need a lot of ginger to make an impact and grating a couple of tablespoons of ginger can take a lot of effort.
6) Carrot slaw. This is like the Bistro salad but the inspiration comes from Northern/Central Europe, not France. Grated carrots, sour cream, cider vinegar, fennel seeds, sugar(!), salt, and pepper. Shredded cabbage wouldn’t hurt.
7) Japanese carrot salad. The hard part of this dish is cutting the carrots. Cutting carrots into matchsticks is a lot of work. I have a mandoline from a reputable company, but despite its claims to the contrary, it does not make it easy to create matchsticks from carrots. But, if you can cross that hurdle, these are delicious. Once having reduced the carrots to a long, thin state, marinate them in mirin and seasoned rice wine vinegar for a couple of hours and then sprinkle with sesame seeds. Totally delicious. 
8) Japanese carrot sauce. This one hit me like a thunderbolt. Our favorite Japanese restaurant in Philadelphia is Shiroi Hana. It’s a perfectly delightful place that does both sushi and kitchen items and is a favorite with music aficionados heading to the Kimmel Center or the Academy of Music. Regardless of what you order, you are always offered a choice of salad or miso soup. The salad is usually pretty simple – a few leaves of lettuce, some julienned carrots, and an out of this world spicy orange sauce.
Well, I recently bought [Secret] Sauces by Vanessa Seder and right there on page 46 was the recipe for that spicy orange sauce. I tested it on a green salad but soon experimented with spinach, broccoli, broiled tilapia, and pickled carrots and it worked every time.
This is one of the few dishes where I think a food processor is preferable to a mortar and pestle. Combine 3 carrots, lots of ginger, scallions, rice vinegar, mirin, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, vegetable oil, and salt in food processor and chill. That’s all there is to it and it is seriously magnificent.
9) Carrot puree. I never thought of carrots as a sauce, but it works. This goes back to my go-to bistro salad, except that instead of grating carrots, you mix the carrots, olive oil, sherry vinegar, and sesame seeds in a food processor and puree. With a babyhood type texture, that may not sound too exciting but as a sauce for a steak – magnifique!
10) Carrot ribbons. I saw a recipe a couple of months ago for zucchini where the squash was sliced into ribbons with a vegetable peeler and then sautéed in olive oil and served like a light pasta. Last Monday, I was inspired to try the same technique on a big carrot and I loved the results. Take big carrot and slice off the top and bottom and then peel. Then, with the vegetable peeler, trim the entire carrot until you have a small bowl of carrot shavings. It will take a while and it’s more than a little boring but it’s worth it.
Heat some olive oil to medium high and then add the carrots. Stir rapidly for a minute or so and then add a splash of sherry vinegar and some seasoning (salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, za’atar, herbs de provence, etc.) Stir rapidly until the carrots are limp and then plate. The carrots retain their carroty flavor but the cooking technique manages to fully integrate the flavors of the oil, vinegar, and seasonings. This is going to become a go-to recipe.