FOOD
If carrots can be famous for anything, they’d be famous
for being everyone’s favorite root vegetable. Considering
your opinion of the competition (rutabaga,
celeriac), that might not be saying much. Their prevailing
flavor is sweet, which is why I paired them with
lots of bright spices, slightly bitter toasted nuts, and
smoky-salty-fatty chorizo. A note on ways to spin the
recipe: Diced pancetta or slab bacon can be swapped
in for chorizo. Brussels sprouts can replace the carrots;
trim them before adding to pan. Instead of mint, use
cilantro or fennel fronds. Pistachios or almonds can
replace walnuts. Use fennel or cumin seeds in place
of coriander (or omit). Red or white wine vinegar can
stand in for sherry vinegar. Serves four.
INGREDIENTS
2 ounces Spanish chorizo
1 pound medium carrots
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
kosher salt to taste
½ cup walnut halves
2 sprigs mint
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar, plus more as needed
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven or a toaster oven to 350°F. Cut chorizo
into ¼-inch-thick pieces. Scrub the carrots and halve
them crosswise.
Place a 10-inch skillet over medium heat, then add the
chorizo and cook, turning occasionally, until some of the
fat renders and the surface of the chorizo looks blistered,
1 to 2 minutes (don’t overdo it or the chorizo will get
tough). Transfer chorizo to a small plate, reserving drippings
in the pan.
Add the oil to pan, then carrots, and season with salt.
Cook, tossing intermittently, until the carrots are dark
brown on most surfaces, 12 to 14 minutes. The carrots are
going to want to roll onto the same spot and stay there,
so be deliberate about turning them onto their nonbrowned
sides so the results are somewhat even.
Meanwhile, toast the walnuts in the oven on a small
rimmed baking sheet until they’re a couple of shades
darker and fragrant, 10 minutes, tossing once halfway
through. Spread them out on a cutting board and let cool
slightly, then roughly chop. Roughly chop the mint (you
should have about ¼ cup loosely packed). Set nuts and
mint aside separately.
Lightly crush the coriander, then add it to the skillet with
carrots and cook until fragrant, which will be pretty much
immediately. Pour in 1 cup water and simmer, turning
carrots occasionally, until the liquid is reduced by half,
5 minutes. Return chorizo to pan and simmer until the
liquid forms a thin glaze and carrots are tender (not soft)
at the center, 5 minutes more. Stick them with a cake
tester or cut into one to check.
Add the vinegar and toss to coat, then taste and season
with salt and/or more vinegar. Toss in mint and walnuts.
— From “That Sounds So Good: 100 Real-Life Recipes for
Every Day of the Week,” published by Clarkson Potter, an
imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random
House LLC.
Pan-Roasted
Carrots
With Chorizo
Nubbins
by CARLA LALLI MUSIC
Photo by Andrea Gentl and Martin Hyers.