Braised Carrots with Garlic Chives

This recipe makes a simple dish with that has plenty of flavor. If you wish to, adding some chopped lacinato kale adds color to the dish and contrast to the flavors, all of which meet under the aromatic umbrella of the garlic chives. This recipe is set to yield a “dry” dish, but if you wish, you can use more stock and have the carrots in a broth, adding little pasta shapes or Israeli couscous or grains if it pleases you.

INGREDIENTS:

1 bunch carrots, trimmed, scrubbed or peeled, cut into 1 inch lengths, or ½ inch thick rounds if the diameter exceeds 1 inch

1 small brown or white onion -enough to yield ½ cup- Lyonnaise sliced ¼ wide

2-3 whole garlic chives + 3 more, sliced on the diagonal 1 inch by ¼ inch

½ teaspoon fresh oregano or marjoram leaves, finely chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Light flavored olive oil or grapeseed oil as needed

Butter as needed, around ½ – 1 tablespoon

Water as needed

METHOD:

Heat a 2½ sauteuse or chef’s pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, film it with oil. When the oil is hot, add the carrots and toss to coat with the oil. Cook gently just until the carrots begin to pick up a golden color. Add the onions and cook until they are translucent, but not coloring.

Add half the oregano or marjoram, the whole garlic chives, and water to just even with the top of the carrots. Bring to a boil, skim any scum that might rise to the surface, then lower the heat to a simmer.

Cook until the carrots are just cooked through. A sharp thin-bladed knife should be able to go all the way through a carrot piece, but there should be a faint resistance. If you reach this point and there is still a lot of liquid still in the pan, remove the carrots with a slotted spoon to a dish and cover to keep warm. If there is only a quarter cup or so, leave them in the pan. Don’t worry about the onions. Remove the whole chives and discard. Turn heat to medium-high and reduce the pan liquid if necessary to ¼ cup or a little less. Add the rest of the oregano/marjoram and the cut garlic chives. Return the carrots to the pan and toss to coat. Add ½ tablespoon butter to the pan and swirl until the butter melts and emulsifies with the pan liquid. The carrots should have a nice glaze to them. If not, add another ½ tablespoon butter and swirl to emulsify and coat. When the carrots have a nice glaze, season with salt and pepper and serve hot.

Chef’s Notes: You could add 2 cups of lacinato kale to this dish easily to good effect. Stem the kale, cut into ¼ inch wide strips or chop it, and then wash it. Dunk in boiling water and cook until tender. Drain well, and add to the above recipe right after the herbs are added into the pan. To make this more soupy, use more liquid. Try a light vegetable stock if you have it, then add cooked grains, noodles, or small pasta shapes. You could also cook the carrots until quite soft, and cook the kale until very tender separately. Finely chop the lacinato and mash the carrots and mix into a bowl with a little more chopped garlic chives. Add a beaten egg or a little ricotta and season well. Put a spoonful of this mixture into won-ton wrappers and seal with water or egg to make raviolis. Use these as you would ravioli or add to a broth.

Serves: 4

Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen