Here is a dish that straddles the line between dinner and dessert, sweet and savory. Depending on how you season this, it could go either way. Here I was thinking dessert, but I tend to like not very sweet desserts, so this is not as sweet as you could make it.
INGREDIENTS:
2 heaping cups carrots, cleaned and sliced into ½-inch rounds
2 extra-large eggs + 1 egg yolk
1¼+½ cup cream or Half-and-Half
1 sprig + ¼ teaspoon minced fresh thyme or marjoram
Salt and pepper to taste
Butter as needed, around 1 tablespoon
1 recipe Blueberry Ginger Sauce (see recipe)
METHOD:
Heat oven to 375°F.
Place carrots in a pan with a little room to spare and just top with water. Add a sprinkle of salt and the herb sprig. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until carrots are quite tender all the way through. This should take around 15-20 minutes. Remove carrots, discarding the thyme or marjoram sprig, to a bowl and reduce carrot cooking water to 2 tablespoons or a little less. Watch carefully to prevent it cooking dry as when there is less volume it reduces faster. Allow liquid to cool.
While carrots cook, bring 5-6 cups of water to boil. Maintain at a simmer. Doing this in a teapot will make life easier, as this water will be poured into a roasting pan in the oven later, and a spout is great for this. Butter the insides of the ramekins, paying special attention to where the sides and bottom meet.
Mix eggs/yolk and the 1¼ cup dairy in a mixing bowl and whisk together well. Add the minced herbs and season with salt and pepper, keeping in mind you will be adding carrots as well.
Put the carrots and the remaining cooking liquid, plus the ½ cup dairy into a food processor or blender and pureé until smooth. Remove container from machine and check that carrot pureé is cool. If it is warm enough when you add the custard (dairy and egg mixture) it will cook the eggs and you will have a mess on hand. If it is not very warm, return container to machine base and turn on. For a blender have it on pureé. While motor is running, drizzle in the custard to mix thoroughly. The color will lighten a little and the mixture should look smooth and have a little “loft” to it. Stop the machine right away as soon as you reach this point.
Place the buttered ramekins into the roasting pan and put this onto the extended center shelf of the oven. Pour the carrot custard into the ramekins, stopping just below the top. Carefully pour the hot water into the roasting pan until it reaches just above halfway up the sides while avoiding getting water into the ramekins. Cover the pan loosely with foil and carefully slide the shelf into the oven and close the door. Cook the custards for 30 minutes. Check them to see how they are progressing. They should be almost set. Uncover the custards and give one a little jiggle. It should be mostly set, with a little area in the center that is still liquid. The custards are done when the sides seem firm and the center area moves only a little, but is no longer liquid. Re-cover the custards, and continue cooking them another 10-15 minutes.
When the custards are done, remove the pan from the oven. If this seems difficult, use a large spatula (barbecue ones are good for this) to remove the custards from the oven. Allow the custards to cool a few minutes to set up before serving.
When ready to serve, run a thin sharp knife around the edge and, using a dry towel to hold the ramekin, place a plate over the ramekin and turn it over and set it on the counter. Give it a tap on the plate and it should unmold, ready to go.
Top with the Blueberry Ginger sauce and serve.
Chef’s Notes: You could add balsamic vinegar to the carrots and sugar to the sauce for a sweet-tart contrast on the plate, or you could line the ramekins with sugar and crystalize it with a torch and use vinegar with the berries in the sauce. Skip the sugar, use a little vinegar in the sauce and fresh herbs in the custard and go savory all the way. Use cardamom or curry for the custard and mint or mint syrup in the sauce.
Serves: 4
Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!
