Chantenay carrots are actually meant to be grown large. The flavor improves with size, and they seem to have a nicer flavor as well. This recipe can be made with other carrots, but I love the flavor and shape of big Chantenays. Serve this as a side to beef or with roasted Portobello mushrooms as a bed.
INGREDIENTS:
1 bunch of Chantenay carrots, tops removed, cleaned, peeled or not is up to you, cut into ½-inch disks
2 cups Purplette onions, trimmed, peeled, cleaned, and cut into ½-inch wedges
Salt and pepper
½ teaspoon sugar or agave syrup
1½ tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pea-sized bits, kept cold until needed
Olive oil as needed
1 cup vegetable stock, very hot
½ tablespoon fresh oregano leaves
METHOD:
Blanch the carrots in boiling salted water until they are crisp-tender, about 5-8 minutes. Remove from water and rinse with cool water.
Lower heat under water to a slightly rolling simmer (This is to keep the wedges from breaking up.). Blanch the onion wedges until no longer raw, 2-4 minutes. Remove and put in the bowl with the carrots. Drizzle with a little oil and gently toss to coat evenly with a light film of oil.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high until hot. Film pan bottom lightly with oil, and when oil is quite hot. Add the carrots and onions and shake gently so things flatten out. Cook until surfaces color a nice golden brown. Turn vegetables as needed to color both sides and avoid burning. Remove vegetables that are in danger of going from golden brown to burnt to the bowl they were in.
When all the vegetables are golden/light brown, add the oregano and sauté, tossing all the while and cook until the oregano is fragrant. Remove vegetables to the bowl and cover loosely with foil to retain heat. Sprinkle pan bottom with sugar and cook until it caramelizes. When it goes from a clear liquid to dark amber, remove from heat and carefully and slowly pour in the hot stock. Use caution as the caramel (molten sugar) may want to spatter and is like lava. Use a flat tipped spatula (preferably wooden) to scrape the pan bottom and loosen the caramel. Stir until it mixes into the liquid, the turn up the heat to high and reduce the sauce until it is thickening or there is around 1-2 tablespoons left. Remove from the heat and add the butter bits a few at a time, swirling the pan so the butter melts in and emulsifies. Continue until all the butter is in and the sauce has thickened a bit. It should seem slightly viscous/lightly syrupy rather than liquid. Add more butter if needed. Once sauce has thickened a bit, return the vegetables to the pan, toss to coat and heat them, then serve.
Serves: 4
Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen
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