This dish would be served as a separate course, or in a bowl of it’s own with the main course. The rounds of carrot look like little islands in their broth. Chantenay carrots really show their flavor when cooked slowly, as the are here. Dashi is the basic broth used in Japanese cooking, and is the base of miso soup, among many other things.
INGREDIENTS:
1 bunch Chantenay carrots, cleaned and sliced into ¾ inch rounds 2 slices of fresh ginger, ¼ inch thick, smacked with the flat of a knife 4 cups hot dashi (See recipe) A few drops of soy sauce, if needed Sansho as needed* Cilantro oil, a few drops (Optional) Grapeseed or other neutral flavored oil, as needed
METHOD:
Heat a sauté pan just large enough to hold the carrots in a single layer over medium-high heat. When hot, just film the pan with oil and heat the oil. Add the carrots and cook the flat sides just enough to color them a bit. Not too dark, but enough to know they have been cooked.
Add the ginger, and then the dashi to the pan. There should be enough dashi to just cover carrots. If not, add a little water.
Bring to a boil and skim any foam that rises. Turn down the heat to a gentle simmer and cook until the carrots are quite tender, but will hold their shape still. Remove the carrots to a bowl and keep warm.
Cook the dashi down until it is 50% of its original volume or less. Taste the dashi. If it seems to want a little salt, add a couple drops of soy sauce and taste. Add a little soy at a time until you get the taste you want.
Distribute carrots amongst four bowls and strain the dashi through a fine-mesh strainer over the carrots. Add enough liquid to come no more than three-quarters up the carrots (so they look like islands in a lake or off-shore). Sprinkle lightly with the sansho, and if you wish, add a couple drops of cilantro oil per bowl into the dashi.
Serve hot or warm.
Chef’s Notes:
*Sansho is powdered dried prickly ash berry and has a lovely citrusy flavor. It is used for many things, and is a great “secret ingredient” in Western cuisine. It comes in a little flip top bottle and may be found in Japanese markets and some grocery stores.
If you have access to shiso (the green, not the red) leaves, these would be nice finely shredded in lieu of sansho or cilantro oil.
Serves: 4
Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen
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