By Chef Mario
Ingredients
-1 bunch of carrots, rinsed and scrubbed; no need to peel
-1 tsp fennel seed
-1 tsp coriander seed
-1 tsp whole allspice
-1/2 tsp cumin seed
-1 whole clove (the spice)
-2 whole clove 2 garlic, unpeeled, lightly smashed
Method
-In a 400 degree oven, toast the spices in a small saute pan. They will become fragrant and change color just a little. Remove from pan, and set aside.
-Cut the carrots into 1 inch long pieces, halving along the length for the thicker carrots.
-In a heavy saute pan, heat 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil til smoke just begins to rise, and carefully place your sliced carrots in the pan, along with the garlic. Keep the heat high. You’ll want to keep moving them in the pan to avoid burning, but you do want some color.
-While the carrots are roasting, you’ll want to grind you spices. A coffee grinder works great, but if you don’t want to spice up your morning Joe, place the spices on a wooden cutting board, and smash with the flat side of a knife. A few chunks is okay, but keep in mind the the spice will be going as-is, into pan.
-Once the carrots are cooked about 3/4 of the way, season with salt and pepper and then add your ground spices. Keep the heat high, but keep moving. If you need a little more oil, try a few drops of extra virgin. When done to your liking, remove from heat, and enjoy.
This is a nice side dish the would pair nicely with a roast chicken, maybe curry rubbed. A little yogurt wouldn’t hurt either. Yellow House, plain, from Echo Hill would work. And if you wanted to turn this into a meal in itself, you could add some chopped cashews or peanuts just after you add the spices, and then some arugula at the end. Enjoy!