Description
From Joshua McFadden’s Six Seasons
Confession: I didn’t sign up for my winter CSA this year because I was worried about being able to handle it all without having a kitchen. So, I’ve been buying those 2-lb bags of rainbow carrots and using all of them as opposed to the suggested 1.5 pounds.
Re almonds: if you use sliced almonds, you may not need quite 1/2 cup — start with 1/4 cup and add more to taste. One time I had roasted Marcona almonds on hand, which were delicious here.
If any of you made the dukkah, I find a sprinkling of it on these roasted carrots to be particularly delicious.
Ingredients
- 1½ to 2 pounds carrots, trimmed and peeled, but left whole
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar or white balsamic
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
- ½ cup almonds, toasted and chopped, see notes
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 475°F.
- Spread the carrots on a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle on a tablespoon or so of oil, and roll the carrots to coat them. Roast until they are very dark brown, even a bit burnt on the edges, but not fully tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Note: I am still without an oven, and my little Waring oven doesn’t really get above 400ºF, so the first roast for me takes about 30 to 45 minutes—just roast the carrots till they look nearly charred on all surfaces. Leave the oven on but reduce the temperature to 300°F.
- When the carrots are cool enough to handle, cut them on a sharp angle into 1/2-inch-thick slices and transfer to a large bowl. Add the vinegar, season with salt and lots of pepper, and toss to coat. Let the carrots sit for 5 minutes to absorb the vinegar.
- Spread them out on the baking sheet again, distribute the butter bits on top, and drizzle the honey or maple syrup over all. Roast until they are fully tender and the butter and honey are making a lovely mess, 5 to 7 minutes. Note: Again, because my oven is a little guy, this step takes longer—just cook until everything looks caramelized. Scrape everything into a serving bowl, taste, and adjust with more vinegar, salt, or pepper. Top with the almonds. Serve warm.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
