Wednesday, October 30, 2013

"River Cottage Veg Everyday" - Caramelised carrots with gremolata


For today´s recipe in my River Cottage Veg Everyday series, I chose the "Caramelised carrots with gremolata". This lovely side dish is the thirteenth post in my series. The carrot is a member of the parsley family and is related to the parsnip, celery and fennel. All fabulous vegetables but today the carrot is the star.




Carrots are extremely versatile. They are good for you if you enjoy them raw in a salad for example and they are also good for you when cooked and blended into in a carrot soup or roasted like they are in this recipe today. They are also easy to produce, easy to store and easy to find at your local farmers´ market. And they happen to be my favorite vegetable and the kids favorite vegetable too.




This recipe is extremely easy to make as Hugh Fearnley-Whittigstall so aptly points out “the contrasts of sweet, caramelized carrots and easy gremolata is brilliant – and it looks great too”. The steps to a delicious side dish are but a few. You simply put the carrots in a large roasting dish. Pour over the olive oil, season well with freshly ground pepper and sea salt and stir to coat. Roast for about 30 minutes while covered, than again for about 20 minutes uncovered until the are tender and golden brown in places. Meanwhile, you prepare the gremolata. Roughly chop a bit of garlic (I used one clove of a tender, fresh garlic), add the Italian parsley and lemon zest (organic, of course) to the board, and chop and mix until very fine. As soon as the carrots are roasted, toss with the gremolata with the carrots, so the heat ever-so-slightly takes the edge off the garlic. Add more salt and pepper, if needed, and serve straight away.




What´s not to like about this stunning side-dish – I have used the “first roast, then immediately toss with the gremolata method”, as I have taken to call this way of preparing and serving roasted vegetables, many times since I first saw it in the book. It is a simply fabulous method to add extra taste to your already delicious, naturally sweet roasted vegetables. Believe me, there will be no sharp taste from the garlic.

If you own the English edition of this family friendly vegetable cookbook, you will find the recipe for the “Caramelised carrots with gremolata” on page 355 in the chapter on "Roast, Grill & Barbecue".



16 comments:

  1. I saw these on FB and wanted carrots for dinner. They look so delicious Andrea, I could seriously eat them for my whole dinner. You make the best stuff!

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    1. Chris, those carrote are just fabulous prepared this way but I also prepared different veg following the same recipe and it worked just as well - but carrots will always be my favorite as roasting brings out their natural sweetness even more.

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  2. The photos are gorgeous and I think I will love serving these beautiful carrots (minus the knoblauch... perhaps I will use a shallot or chives for my gremolata?) with an autumnal roasted chicken with saffron and rosemary. ~ David

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    1. David, the pictures were fun to take but the carrots were even better, The gremolata tastes quite wonderful this way (if you use a fresh, tender garlic clove), I have never tried to sub shallots or chives though, that might be a delicious alternative to that garlic.

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  3. Only you, my dear, can make mere carrots look like the food of the Gods' Xx

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    1. Kim, thank you so much, my dear - carrots have a wonderful natural orange color that I simply adore.

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  4. Dear Andrea,
    Thank you for your words and I am sorry to bother you!
    I am very happy in Munich, it is a beautiful city and I have made some good new friends from many places around the world. I just haven't been able to focus on the blog, I am still getting used to different groceries and things on the supermarket, and just got a new kitchen with a gas oven (I had never used one before and I am a little afraid of it!) it's not so easy to shop and cook yet! Hope I can now get even more inspired on your blog, make mine a little bit more German ;)
    Your carrots are amazing this way, I hope I get used to the oven so I can try them!
    Liebe Grüße aus München ;)
    Inês

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    1. Inês, I am relieved that all is well with you in Munich - I started to be concerned but I was sure at the same time that you were just very busy with finding an apartment in Munich that you liked - now that you are starting to settle in, you will certainly have the fun challenge of grocery shopping in Germany ahead of you...all the very best, let me know if you need any help!
      Liebe Grüße aus Bonn,
      Andrea

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    2. Thank you Andrea, you are very kind!
      Have a nice Sunday ;)
      Inês

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    3. Your are quite welcome, dear Inês! Hope the sun is also shining in Munich - it is still quite balmy around here!

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  5. I will definitely bookmark this recipe as it sounds delicious.

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    1. Thank you my dear, you should try oven roasted carrots with gremolata at least onc ein your life - this recipe is worth exploring!

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  6. 13th? Lucky for some... and lucky for me that I popped by. I love carrots and I'm delighted to have this fresh new recipe. (Pretty illustrations on that main photo too. Very creative, Andrea!

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    1. Hester, I always add the botanical print to one picture per post - I love those vintage prints and they are also supposed to make the series a bit more recognizable. So glad that you mentioned that you like it! Thank you!

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  7. I'm new to gremolata, but so glad I learned about it today! The roasting part is close to what I normally do, but I gotta try gremolata next time! Your carrot definitely looks delicious and I want to eat it immediately!

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    1. Nami, I have made the gremolate many times since I first came across the recipe - just make sure to use organic lemons, fresh Italian parsley and what we call "young garlic", the fesh kind - then this gremolata will take your roasted veg to a whole different level.

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