Basil Orange Braised Carrots

This grew out of my liking for carrots and orange juice. Mint often appears with carrots at my table, and basil and mint often swap places in recipes, so it just seemed natural. Using bigger chunks of carrot allows the flavor of the carrot to develop while keeping it from getting really soft. 

INGREDIENTS:

1 medium white or yellow onion, peeled, root cut off, and cut radially 1/4-inch wide

1 clove garlic, peeled

1 bunch carrots, cleaned and cut into 1½-inch long cylinders

9-10 basil leaves (at least 3 large ones from the bottom of the stem)

¼ cup orange juice

½ cup water or vegetable stock, or as needed*

Salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil as needed

METHOD:

Heat a pan that will hold the carrots in a single layer, or as wide a pan as you have, with tight fitting lid over medium heat. When hot, film with oil. When oil is hot, add the carrots and cook to lightly color. You want to just smell the carrots cooking, this should take 8-10 minutes. Remove the carrots from the pan and reserve.

Add the onions to the pan, adding a touch of oil if the pan is fairly dry. Toss the onions to coat in oil, add a sprinkle of salt, and sauté gently to soften without coloring. Cook 5 minutes, tossing as needed to avoid coloring, then add the garlic clove, pushing it to the bottom of the pan. Cook a couple minutes more, then add the 3 big basil leaves and the carrots. Season with a little pepper.

Add the orange juice and enough water to come three-quarters of the way up the carrots. Bring the liquid to a simmer, then place the top on the pan.

Cook 10 minutes, then check to roll the carrots 180 degrees in the pan. Check to see how tender the carrots are. They should be cooked until tender, but not at all mushy. If the liquid is below half-way add a splash of water or stock to bring at least half-way up the carrots. Return the lid to the pan and cook until the carrots are just tender all the way through, around 20 minutes total for carrots around ¾-inch thick or more.

Once they are cooked, place in a dish, and remove the 3 basil leaves and garlic clove and dispose of them. With the lid off the pan, add a few drops of olive oil and reduce the liquid in the pan to a glaze. It is ready when you run a spatula across the bottom of the pan and leave a trail where you can see the pan bottom. When ready, add the rest of the basil leaves, torn into smaller bits, and swirl the pan to mix in. Pour the sauce from the pan over the vegetables, scatter with a little flaky salt, and serve.

Chef’s Notes: If you want to intensify the carrot flavor, get a container of carrot juice and bring to a boil in a small pot. Use a fine meshed strainer to scoop out any foam the juice throws. These are coagulated proteins that can be quite bitter. Reduce the juice by half and use it along with the orange juice and water or stock.

Pistachio nuts would be a nice addition to this dish, or you could drizzle with a few drops of pistachio oil if you have it. Pine nuts could be used in lieu of pistachios. If you wish to give this a Mid-East flavor, use cilantro or mint, add a little cumin powder to the onions, and use pistachios. You could also add some olives to the dish towards the end of the carrots cooking time. If you wish, adding some frizzled leeks or fried shallots would be nice as well.

Serves: 4

Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen