Quick to throw together, and great for those hearty holiday meals. If you find tender young carrots at the market (or grow them!), this is a delicious way to cook them. Jamie says, “By cooking them first covered by aluminum foil, they steam and exchange flavors with the herbs and garlic. Then when you remove the foil they start to roast and sweeten.”* Here’s Jamie’s recipe:
Ingredients:
Large bunch of young carrots, washed and scrubbed
Extra-virgin olive oil
Herb or red wine vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
A few sprigs of fresh thyme
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
Instructions:
“Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Toss your carrots with a good glug of olive oil, a splash of vinegar, salt and pepper, the thyme sprigs and garlic cloves. Place in a roasting pan or earthenware dish, cover tightly with aluminum foil and cook for 30 to 40 minutes until just tender. Remove the foil and cook for a further 10 minutes until the carrots have browned and caramelized nicely.”
I usually use a Le Creuset dutch oven with its own cover. Check the carrots on the earlier side. Make sure you uncover them before they’re totally done, if you want them to brown. (You can also finish them on the stove if you want.)
*From Jamie Oliver’s Cook With Jamie, p. 312.
Our Thanksgiving table, at the home of my cousin Nick (who’s a chef—not hard to get the family to gather at his place):
Nick’s scrumptious turkey: