Charred Baby Carrots
from Holly Hill Culinary Director and Chef Tyler McNabb
This dish is as much about philosophy as technique. The best thing about (most) local summer vegetables is their intrinsic sweetness, often missing from supermarket produce. This sweetness is highlighted by the smoky-bitter contrast of grilling and the tangy creaminess of the preserved lemon yogurt, then played up again by the pistachios and golden raisins. This template works great with all kinds of seasonal vegetables, especially summer squashes and eggplant.
Ingredients:
1 pound baby carrots, tops removed (save for carrot top pesto)
1 medium bulb spring onion (bulb about the size of a golf ball)
2 tablespoons cooking oil such as avocado oil or peanut oil
1 cup whole fat yogurt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced preserved lemon rind
1/2 cup roasted and salted pistachios, crushed
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 tablespoon fresh mint
Directions:
Preheat the grill to 425F. If using a charcoal grill, wait until the coals are completely gray and the flames have died down.
Wash the carrots, dry on paper towels and toss with one tablespoon of oil and a big pinch of kosher salt.
Lay the carrots on the grill, simultaneously place the saucepan on the grill and sweat the spring onion.
While those are cooking, mix together the yogurt, lemon juice, and preserved lemon. Season with kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Cook carrots until charred on all sides and fork-tender (approximately 10-12 minutes).
Stir the spring onion occasionally; remove from heat when tender and translucent.
Spoon the preserved lemon yogurt on a serving platter, and spread it out to form a base.
Arrange the charred carrots on top of the yogurt, spoon the wilted spring onion over the carrots, garnish with the roasted pistachios, raisins and chopped mint (be sure not to over chop the mint to minimize oxidation and retain freshness.)
If you don't have or can't find preserved lemon, use fresh lemon zest and juice instead. No yogurt, no problem; use ricotta or fresh goat cheese or even silken tofu to keep it vegan. Sub out hazelnuts, pine nuts, pecans or toasted sesame seeds for the pistachios. Use local honey instead of raisins, or omit the raisins and top the dish with chili crisp or calabrian chili oil. Cilantro and dill make excellent subs for the mint. And if firing up a grill isn’t feasible, grab your trusty cast iron or a grill pan and heat it up in a well ventilated kitchen as it will get smoky!
© 2022, Holly Hill Inn/Ilex Summit, LLC and its affiliates, All Rights Reserved
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