Carrot

By: Margaret Fulton
From: Encyclopedia of Food and Cookery

Carrots are one of the three great aromatic vegetables, the others being onion and celery. They are used constantly in casseroles, soups and stews and they are the traditional accompaniment to boiled beef. There is also an excellent carrot soup, potage crécy.

Basic preparation: Young carrots need only be lightly scraped and, if they are tiny, cooked whole. They are delicious cooked in a very little water and a little butter, in a tightly closed pan that permits them to steam until they are just tender. A little sugar or honey added to the water brings out the natural sweetness of the carrots.

Older carrots should be scraped or skins peeled with a swivel-bladed vegetable peeler, and sliced or cut into strips or diced and lightly boiled.

To boil: Cook, with lid on, in boiling salted water until tender. Young whole carrots will take about 15–20 minutes; older carrots, cut in thick slices, will take 15 minutes. Drain, glaze with butter and toss in chopped parsley or coat with a white sauce.

Ingredients

Quantity	Ingredient
	see method for ingredients

Method

Golden carrots: Scrub 500 g young carrots and slice thinly. Drop into a small saucepan containing 3–4 tablespoons boiling chicken stock, cover and simmer for 3 minutes or until tender but still crisp. Sprinkle with salt and, if liked, add a dab of butter.
Carrots Vichy: Scrub 500 g young carrots and cut into slices. Melt 60 g butter in a heavy saucepan, add carrots, 2 tablespoons water and 2 teaspoons sugar. Cover and cook gently until almost tender, then remove lid and continue cooking until water evaporates leaving a light syrup. Toss carrots to glaze and sprinkle with salt and chopped parsley. Serves 4.
Carrots julienne: Scrub 500 g carrots and cut into julienne strips. Put into a saucepan with 2 tablespoons each of butter and water and cook, covered, for 6–7 minutes or until tender. Drain off any remaining liquid; add salt, freshly ground black pepper and 5–6 mint leaves, cut into fine strips. Toss over low heat for 1 minute and serve immediately. Serves 4–6.
Dilled carrots: Scrub 500 g young carrots cut lengthways into quarters. Place in a saucepan with 190 ml dill-pickle juice and simmer, covered, for 10–15 minutes until tender-crisp. Cool, then chill overnight in the liquid. Drain carrots and toss them with 1½ tablespoons each snipped fresh dill and chives and 185 g sour cream. Serve with fish or other salads. Serves 4–6.
Lemon-glazed carrots: Scrub 500 g young carrots and cut lengthways into quarters, or leave whole if very small. Simmer, covered, in salted water for 10–15 minutes or until tender-crisp; drain. Melt 60 g butter in a frying pan, add 1 tablespoon sugar, 2 teaspoons chopped parsley and 1½ tablespoons lemon juice and heat gently. Add carrots and toss over medium heat until glazed. Serves 4.
Minted ginger carrots: Scrub 500 g carrots, cut into batons and put into a baking dish with 125 ml orange juice, 60 ml olive oil, 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger and ½ teaspoon each salt and sugar. Cover and bake in a preheated moderate oven for 45 minutes or until tender. Serve hot or chilled, sprinkled generously with mint. Serves 4.

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