Carrots
Look for different varieties and colors.
Young carrots don’t need peeling, just wash well.
Don’t forget to use the green tops.
Instead of raw, try very lightly blanched.
Great roasted,...
I know this sounds odd, but it works, and it works as a main course lunch salad, not just as a supporting side dish. The real surprise of this recipe is just how good apples are with chiles and preserved lemons.
Ingredients
SERVINGS: 4 Serving(s)
For the Salad
- ¾ pound young carrots (a mixture of colors is best if you can find them)
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Sea salt flakes and freshly ground pepper
- 1¼ cups cooked Puy lentils
- 1 red Fresno chile and one green chile, halved, seeded and very finely shredded
- 2 preserved lemons, rind only, finely shredded plus 2 teaspoons brine from the jar
- 1 large or 2 medium tart apples
- Juice of ½ lemon
- Leaves from 10 mint sprigs, torn
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves
For the Dressing
- 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil (fruity rather than grassy)
- 1 fat garlic clove, finely grated
- ½ inch fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
- ¼ teaspoon clear honey
Preparation
Preheat oven to 400ºF.
Trim the carrots but leave a bit of green tuft. If you can’t find young carrots, halve or quarter larger ones lengthwise. Don’t peel them, just wash them well. Place in a single layer in a roasting pan. Add the olive oil, salt and pepper, then toss to ensure the carrots are coated.
Roast in the oven for 30–35 minutes, or until tender. Be careful not to overcook them.
Make the dressing by putting the vinegar in a bowl and whisking in all the other ingredients with a fork. Season.
Put the lentils into a broad shallow serving bowl with half the chile and ⅓ of the preserved lemon. Season a little, then toss with about ⅓ of the dressing.
Halve and core the apple or apples (there’s no need to peel them) and cut into matchsticks. Throw into a large mixing bowl with the lemon juice and add the carrots. Add the rest of the preserved lemons and chile, along with ⅔ of the herbs and the remaining dressing.
Throw the rest of the mint and cilantro into the lentils. Put the carrot and apple mixture on top—you should still be able to see the lentils around the sides—and serve.
About this recipe
Reprinted with permission, From the Oven to the Table: Simple Dishes That Look After Themselves by Diana Henry (Mitchell Beazley, 2019), available from your local bookstore on October 1. For more info, see dianahenry.co.uk.
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