Carrots

[Rachel Perlow]

I usually eat carrots raw. Occasionally, however, I like them cooked. Frequently, that's in a stew or soup. But if they are going to be the star of a side dish, how do you like to cook them? Most of the time I make glazed carrots, a sweet dish with brown sugar, orange juice, sometimes some ginger. Jason doesn't like them sweet, he says the carrots are already sweet and last time I made them, he requested them made with garlic and olive oil. So, I cooked them just like I would any other veg I would saute with garlic and oo. And they were great!

I julienned them as opposed to cutting into coins for this preparation. For a stir fry, I will make uneven bias cuts by rotating the carrots in between angled cuts.

I searched and there's no other topic dedicated to cooking this jewel of a vegetable, except for carrot cake. There's plenty of carrot cake threads!

Tell us how you like them...

[Marlene]

Especially when I'm cooking a lot of other things and I don't have time to fuss with veggies, as in tomorrow's Easter dinner, I do mine in the crockpot. Yes they are glazed, but they don't end up being sweet.

[Pille]

I have found four great vegetable dishes starring carrot - all would make a lovely side dish to various grilled meats (or delicious vegetarian dishes on their own right).

gingered carrots with feta cheese (feta is optional)

Moroccan carrot salad with cumin and garlic

carrots with rosemary and orange (especially nice with cheese)

roasted carrots with mushrooms and herbs

As I don't have my own vegetable patch at the moment, I buy organic carrots - I find they have much more superior (and carrot-like) taste..

Looking forward to reading about other carrot ideas!

Edited April 15, 2006 by Pille (log)

[snowangel]

Tomorrow for Easter Sunday, I'm making a carrot and leek gratin. The surprise ingredient is horseradish -- it's a wonderful combo.

[TongoRad]

I've always got a small jar of coriander/cumin (50/50) powder at the ready, and it's just perfect on carrots. A common prep would be to roast your carrot slices until they are at your desired level of tenderness, take them out of your oven just as you set some butter to melt in a medium-low skillet. Add the cumin/coriander to the melted butter and let it bloom for a few seconds, turn off the heat and add the carrots. Toss to cover on all sides, salting as you go. Sometimes I'll steam the carrots if it's late and I don't want the fuss of roasting, and it still tastes darn good. Personally I would love to add some cayenne to the works, but my wife isn't as into that idea as I am...

[jackal10]

Honey and Balsamic (with butter, of course)

Carrot Foam

Roast

Mash with potato

Edited April 15, 2006 by jackal10 (log)

[Rebecca263]

We roast our chicken with cinnamon and cumin as a standby dish, and I like to roast carrots in the pan alongside. It's a delicious flavor combination.

We also like to oven roast carrots, with just a drizzle of olive oil on them. roasted carrots are delicious!

And, we slice carots and steam them, then serve them with olive oil and toasted pine nuts.

But, favorite preparation in our house is still, plain steamed whole carrots.

[Chufi]

Blanched, then sauteed in butter until slightly golden, finished with a little fresh butter, lots of chopped parsley, and lots of lemon juice.

I also like mint with carrots, and dill.

Dutch classic: carrots mashed with potatoes and onions (and optional parsnips) to make hutspot

I recently braised them with white wine and olive oil, and added salted capers at the end. Very good with fish.

Edited April 15, 2006 by Chufi (log)

[jgm]

One of my favorite ways to fix carrots is to peel them, and then use the peeler to make long, wide, thin "noodles." I cook them in a pan with a little water until they're soft, drain, and plate them in individual servings like a serving of pasta. Top with a dollop of sour cream. Various seasonings can be added during the cooking process, or immediately after draining, as you like.

[Pille]

One of my favorite ways to fix carrots is to peel them, and then use the peeler to make long, wide, thin "noodles."  I cook them in a pan with a little water until they're soft, drain, and plate them in individual servings like a serving of pasta.  Top with a dollop of sour cream.  Various seasonings can be added during the cooking process, or immediately after draining, as you like.

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Jgm - this sounds very good!

[TrishCT]

I don't like boiled or steamed carrots so I devised a recipe that cooks the carrots in their own juices. They have a touch of sweetness but not a lot. This is my signature carrot dish.

It's on Recipe Gullet and it's called Sauteed Carrots (although blackened carrots would work also, because when cooked one or two sides of the carrots gets a bit blackened.) You can use more than 5 carrots depending on the size. I make enough for a good frying pan full.

[Jaymes]

I searched and there's no other topic dedicated to cooking this jewel of a vegetable, except for carrot cake.

There is this one:

Carrots from the garden...

And although it's short, there are some good ideas there.

[Shalmanese]

I don't usually cook carrots but I've fallen in love with Thomas Keller's carrot soup. Glaze 3 large carrots in 1 1/2 cups of carrot juice, 1 tbsp of butter and 1 tbsp of honey and a pinch of curry powder. Then, add 1 cup of carrot juice, 1 cup of heavy cream and puree. Delicious

[Gifted Gourmet]

Carrots Rapee

1 pound carrots, peeled, finely shredded

1/4 cup fresh orange

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh ginger

2 tbsp. canola oil or an olive oil

1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

Place the carrots in a colander to drain for 1/2 hour.... in a small mixing bowl, whisk the juice, vinegar, mustard, and ginger .. then drizzle in the oil.... transfer the carrots to a medium mixing bowl, add the dressing, and toss well. Add the parsley .... and toss well. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

[Eden]

don't forget deviled carrots - glazed carrots with a bit of tobasco added in to balance out the sweet

[Jaymes]

I buy carrots from my local organic farmer's stand. I don't know if it's correct, but the farmer told me that I should remove the carrot greens as soon as possible. He says that the greens depend upon the nutrients in the carrots to thrive, and that they will continue to leach nutrients and flavor from the carrots until they are removed.

Like I said, don't know if that's right, but figure what the hey....so I don't buy carrots that still have the greens attached.

[moosnsqrl]

Some great ideas upthread, that I'll have to try. I'm with Jason on the sweet factor so I have to find garlicky, spicy things to do to them too.

I have a crinkle cutter (really a garnishing tool) that I use so they have grooves and catch some of whatever seasoning/sauce/butter they're cooked with. If I'm feeling really artistic I'll put grooves length-wise down the sides (~5 around) and slice so they look like little flowers (one of my favorite Asican restaurants did this and I love the look but am most often too lazy to do it).

Then there is Copper Penny (which is Cajun or Creole, I'm sure one of our friends from Nawlins can help with that), which I have had warm and cold, with the carrots cooked or not. I don't know if one is more authentic than the other but I like them both ways.

And if you've not had maroon carrots they're flavorful and spectacular looking (although cooking diminishes their beauty).

Amazing that this is a first for eG, isn't it?

[Jaymes]

On the other carrot thread, there is a mention of "carrots with marsala and lime marmalade."

That sounds wonderful, but the link is broken. Is anyone else familiar with this dish?

[Della]

We love cooked carrots and have them probably once a week. We do different things with them - and there are some good ideas upthread that I am going to try but my favorite way is to just steam them and toss with a little butter, salt and pepper. Let's the flavor of the carrot really shine. Simple but good.

I think the trick to carrots is to not overcook them. If they are mushy or soft - forget about it. They need to have some - not crunch - but some firmness still in them so you are chewing something and not just eating mushy carrot.

[Marlene]

I've just been browsing through the 2004 edition cookbook of Fine Cooking and there's a braised carrot and shallot recipe that looks interesting. Besides doing them in the crockpot, I absolutely love roasted carrots as well.

[mizducky]

I do a lot of the same things other folks have mentioned, including slivering them up as part of a stirfry, and roasting along with a chicken. I also like adding them to a stew or soup in really huge chunks, so that they don't fall apart but do get very soft--you lose some carrot flavor, but you gain all the flavors of the stuff its been stewed with.

One preparation I have not made on my own, but have gotten extremely fond of, is the jalapeno-laced hot pickled carrots carried by some taquerias around here. You can also find them chilled in plastic tubs in some supermarkets here in San Diego, but the best I've had so far came from a random taqueria near my old place--juicy slabs of carrot, and the occasional whole jalapeno, in a nice medium-hot brine. Very addictive.

Edited to add: oh yeah! I also love carrots in curries, or even just hit with various curry-type spices. They play off the carrots' natural sweetness really well, without going the route of the added-sweetness glaze.

Edited April 15, 2006 by mizducky (log)

[jackal10]

24 hours in a mild dill pickle - for example use the juice at the end of a jar of gherkins

[Jmahl]

Carrots are deadly -- anyone who has eaten one has died or will die.

BEWARE THE DEADLY CARROT.

Good eating,

Jmahl

[Eden]

And if you've not had maroon carrots they're flavorful and spectacular looking (although cooking diminishes their beauty).

True, but the purple leaches out into your "sauce" (while the carrots revert towards orange) so you still get lots of color on your plate.

We just planted a bunch of "purple haze" carrots & can't wait for them to grow

[kayswv]

On the other carrot thread, there is a mention of "carrots with marsala and lime marmalade."

That sounds wonderful, but the link is broken.  Is anyone else familiar with this dish?

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Jaymes, if you use the link to get to the main website then click on recipes.

from there select "more recipes" from under the pictures, scroll down to vegetables and the recipe is there and the link clicks.

Kay