Copper Carrot Coins Try #1 and Suggested Alternate

We are trying to change up the Traditional Menu around here, so I decided to try a few recipes from Kitchen Daily.  First up was Copper Carrots. 

Doesn't that look pretty?  I read the recipe and thought it might be good.

 

 

http://www.kitchendaily.com/recipe/copper-carrots-149910

Ingredients

• 5 pounds carrots, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
• 3 cups unsweetened tart cherry or pomegranate juice (I used pomegranite juice)
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Turkish bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper

Directions

Simmer carrots, juice, brown sugar, tomato paste, oil, bay leaves, coriander, salt, and pepper in a large heavy pot, stirring occasionally, until carrots are crisp-tender, about 20 minutes.

Strain, reserving liquid, (about 2 cups). Reduce liquid over high heat until it measures 1 cup and is slightly thickened.

Return carrots to pot with liquid to reheat, stirring to coat carrots with reduced juices, then serve.

This is what I really did:

Peeled the carrots

then trimmed them so that roughly the same size.  The smaller bits I reserved for another recipe later.

I then cut them into coins, making the smaller-diameter bits a bit thicker so that they would all cook evenly.

Here they are, all cut up, waiting to go into the cooking liquid

 

 

• In a large heavy pot with a lid, combine the pomegranite juice, brown sugar, , tomato paste, oil, bay leaves, and coriander, and bring to a boil. Note I did not add the salt or the pepper at this point as I thought the long cooking would overemphasize the salt and pepper flavors
• In another pot, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil
• When the juice mixture is boiling, add in the carrots.

As you can see, the juice mixture doesn't cover the carrots.  So add enough boiling water so the carrots are covered. 

Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until carrots are just al dente.  (It took about 12 minutes on my stovetop with my cooking equipment. YMMV.)

• Using a slotted spoon or a skimmer, remove carrots to a bowl and set aside.
• Bring liquid back to a rolling boil and reduce until the liquid is slightly thickened.
• Remove from heat, stir carrots back into liquid, and adjust the seasoning (this is where the salt and pepper comes in.)

Here's the finished product.  The carrots ended up an unappetizing brownish-orange, and the taste was...oddly bland, while tart (as you would expect from a pomegranite-based dish).

The base carrots were flavorful enough but maybe I just don't like boiled carrots.  Here's an alternative dish:

Mommy Carrots, or Sauteed Carrots and Ginger in an Orange Juice Glaze.

Ingredients

• 5 pounds carrots
• 2 cups orange juice 
• 1 knob of fresh ginger, about as big as two thumbs
• 1/4 cup of white wine (or water, if you have to).
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• Salt

Directions:

• Peel, trim, and cut carrots into coins, as above
• Peel ginger and cut into slivers
• In a large pot, melt  the 1/3 the  butter and a bit of the oil
• Working in batches, saute the carrots until they are browned a bit but underdone-- still crisp. Add additional butter/oil as needed.  
• Hold the sauteed carrots in a bowl.
• When all the carrots have been sauteed, deglaze the pan with the wine or water, scraping any browned bits free. 
• Add the ginger and orange juice and bring to a boil.  Reduce until the juice mixture is thicker than maple syrup, but not as thick as chocolate syrup.
• Return the carrots to the syrup mixture and stir constantly until the syrup mixture forms a glaze on the carrots.
• Check seasoning (you may wish to add a bit of salt and pepper).
• Serve.

 

Comments

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