Moroccan Spiced Carrots
Serves 4
This is one of my favorite recipes for carrots. It’s easy and it works every time. I think of carrots as being a bit of a blank slate, a food that benefits greatly from an introduction to spice, heat, or pickling. This side dish could go along with couscous or rice, or could even be included in a composed salad dressed either with Roasted Lemon Vinaigrette or with Lemon Vinaigrette.
1/2 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed
Juice of half a lemon
1 teaspoon evaporated cane juice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 to 4 pinches pimente d’Espelette or cayenne pepper
1 pound small carrots, peeled and halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Mix all ingredients except 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large bowl. Spread mixture on a sheet pan and cover with foil. Roast for 20 minutes, remove foil, and turn carrots with a metal spatula. Roast for another 15 to 20 minutes. Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over carrots before serving.
These carrots can be made ahead and served at room temperature or quickly re-warmed. Either way, drizzle the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over carrots just before serving.
Chef’s Notes
I call this two-part method of roasting vegetables “steam roasting.” It keeps more moisture in root vegetables, which can end up dry and leathery if roasted totally uncovered in a hot oven.
Another variation on this dish is to add onion or leek slices, or to substitute half or all of the carrots with parsnips.
— Stone Edge Farm Estate Vineyards & Winery Cookbook