Cook Carrots

Carrots are a root vegetable that have long been an integral part of human cuisine. While the traditional orange color is the most well known, carrots range in color and can be purple, white and yellow, as well as various shades of orange. They're high in vitamin A, although the cooking process can affect the availability of this vitamin. For cooking, you can use young baby carrots or larger older carrots, provided you match the technique to ensure that the carrot's natural sweetness is enhanced.

Steps

Preparing carrots

  1. Clean the carrots. Before cooking carrots, they require minor preparation, as follows:
    • New, smaller carrots: Don't peel or cut. Simply scrub clean with a stiff vegetable brush. Cook whole.
    • Older, larger carrots: They can be scrubbed clean (in cold water) but if the skin is very blemished or the recipe calls for it, they can be peeled and scraped off too. Larousse Gastronomique advises that carrots should not be scraped or peeled if maximum nutritional content is to be retained; simply brush them if you're aware of their organic origins but do peel or scrape if concerned about pesticides.[1] These carrots can be sliced, diced or cut into julienne strips for cooking.
    • Grate the carrot where the recipe requires. In cooking, grated carrot is often used inside puddings, cakes and savory baked dishes.

Blanching Carrots

  1. Know when and how to blanch carrots. Young/baby, fresh and early season carrots do not need blanching. Older carrots from the end of the season may need to be blanched to reduce their bitterness; taste test a raw one to see first.
  2. Trim the carrots. Cut according to the needs of your recipe.
  3. Place them in a pot of cold water. Bring the water to the boil.
  4. Boil for 5-6 minutes. Much older, larger carrots may need 10-12 minutes.
  5. Drain the carrots. They're now ready to be used as directed.

Steamed carrots

Steaming is a good way to prepare root vegetables, including carrots. It retains freshness and many of the vitamins. Younger carrots are the best for steaming.

  1. Scrub the carrots. Cut off any tops. Decide whether to cook whole or sliced.
  2. Fit a steaming basket into a saucepan or use a steamer saucepan or device. For a steaming basket or saucepan, the water should be kept below the base of the steamer and carrots. Bring the water to the boil.
    • If you own a steamer machine, follow its instructions.
  3. Add the carrots to the steamer or steaming basket. Cover well with a fitted lid.
  4. Steam until tender. This will take about 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of the carrots. Check regularly after about 8 minutes.
  5. Serve hot to warm. Steamed carrots go well with many meals and can be served individually or from a bowl. Keep them warm when serving at large dinners by placing in a container with a lid.

Boiled carrots

Boiling is a good method for older carrots. Chicken or vegetable stock can be substituted for the cooking water if you'd like to impart more flavor to the carrots; this is especially useful if the carrots are not very flavorsome to begin with.

  1. Peel and slice the carrots.
  2. Bring 3cm (1 inch) of salted water to boil in a saucepan.
  3. Add the carrot slices. Return to boil, then reduce the heat and cover the pan.
  4. Cook until just tender, but not soft. This will take about 10-15 minutes.
  5. Serve hot. They can be sprinkled with freshly chopped parsley for garnish.

Microwaved carrots

  1. Place 1 pound/450g of cleaned carrots into a casserole dish or microwave dish. Add 2 tablespoons of water.
  2. Cover the dish.
  3. Microwave on high (100 percent power) until crisp and tender. It is recommended that you stir them once during the process. On average, cooking time is as follows:
    • Thin slices will take about 6-9 minutes
    • Strips will take about 5-7 minutes
    • Baby carrots will take about 7-9 minutes.

Braised carrots

Braised carrots are delicious and sweet.

  1. Preheat the oven to 275ºF/140ºC.
  2. Prepare about 1 pound/450g carrots as slices if large, or use baby carrots.
  3. Place the carrots into a casserole pot or a Dutch oven. Lay the carrots flat.
  4. Add 1/3 cup diced shallots, 2 teaspoons grated orange zest, 1-1/4 cups orange juice, and 1/3 cup of quality olive oil. Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper, sea salt, and perhaps some fresh thyme pieces. Red pepper flakes can also be added if you like.
  5. Place the pot on the stove. Bring to a boil with the stove on medium-high heat. Remove the boiling pot from the heat and cover with a lid.
    • If you don't have a lid, use heavy kitchen foil to make one.
  6. Place in the oven. Cook for 1-1/2 hours or until tender.
  7. Remove from the oven. Serve hot. Sprinkle freshly chopped parsley over the top.

Glazed carrots

  1. Slice the carrots. Choose fat, new carrots for this method.
  2. Steam for 5-8 minutes.
  3. Melt 25g butter in a frying pan with 1/2 cup of brown sugar. Add 2 tablespoons of orange juice.
  4. Toss the steamed carrots into the frying pan. Only heat for one minute, then remove from the heat.
  5. Serve hot. This can be served with chopped fresh parsley or chopped nuts such as walnuts or pecans.

Roasted carrots

  1. Cut the carrots in halves. From this point, either cut in halves again or quarter them lengthways.
  2. Brush with melted butter or oil.
  3. Place in a roasting dish with oil or butter already on the base. Alternatively, rest on a baking tray.
  4. Place in an oven set to 200ºC/400ºF. Roast until tender and caramelized, about 20-40 minutes, depending on the size of the carrot pieces. It's recommended that you turn once or twice, to ensure even caramelization.
  5. Serve hot with other roasted vegetables.

Stir fried carrots

  1. Cut carrots into julienne sticks. (These are also known as "matchsticks" or "batons".) Thin slices are important, to ensure quick cooking.
  2. Add a little oil to a wok or large frying pan.
  3. Add the carrot sticks. Stir fry until they are tender but retain a little bite.
  4. Remove from the heat. Toss in shredded fresh mint and serve hot.

Carrots with raisins

  1. Cut new carrots into slices. Cut enough to serve about 4-6 people (assume one carrot minimum each).
  2. Fry in melted butter. Sprinkle lightly with flour and add just enough water to cover. Add 1 tablespoon of brandy.
  3. Cover the pan with a lid. Cook for about 15 minutes over a gentle heat, then add a handful of raisins. Continue cooking until tender.
  4. Serve hot.

Barbecued carrots

  1. Slice the carrots lengthways.
  2. Brush the carrot lengths with melted butter or oil.
  3. Cook on barbecue until caramelized.

Puréed carrots

  1. Cook 500g/18 oz of new carrots in salted water. Add 1 teaspoon granulated sugar and 15g/1/2 oz butter or oil to the water too.
  2. Drain the cooked carrots. Retain a little of the cooking water for reuse.
  3. Press the carrots through a fine sieve or blend them.
  4. Heat the purée. Add a few spoonfuls of the cooking liquid to the puréed carrot and stir through; this only needs to be done if the purée appears too thick to you.
  5. Add 50g/2 oz butter or oil just before removing the purée from the heat. Mix well.
  6. Serve. This is a good addition for a meal with roasted vegetables and meat.
    • To make it creamier, add 4 tablespoons of double/heavy cream and stir through before serving.

Carrot soup

  1. Cook carrots as soup. There are many different variations of carrot soup, from simple to more complex flavors. Here are a few to try:
    • Carrot soup
    • Make Curry Carrot Soup
    • Make Carrot, Chilli and Coriander Healthy Soup
  2. Make carrot and ginger soup:
    • Grate 4 carrots.
    • Fry 1 onion with a 2cm/1 inch piece of grated fresh ginger and 2-3 chopped cloves of garlic. Use either a little butter or oil for frying.
    • Add the grated carrot to the butter or oil mixture. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring now and then.
    • Add {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} of hot vegetable or chicken stock. Simmer for 30 minutes.
    • Allow to cool slightly. Blend until smooth.
    • Serve hot. Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley. For those who like cream, a swirl of cream will finish this off nicely.

Carrots and swedes or turnips

The sweetness in the carrots blends well with the flavors or either a swede or turnip.

  1. Clean the carrots. If old, peel them.
  2. Cut into thin rounds.
  3. Peel a swede (or turnip). Cut into same sized pieces as carrot.
  4. Cook in boiling salted water until soft enough to mash. Cooking in vegetable stock also imparts a nice flavor.
  5. Drain, mash and drain again as mashing will release juices. Add butter and black pepper.
  6. Serve hot. This makes an excellent side dish.

Carrot sweets

  1. The natural sweetness of carrots lends itself well to many sweet dishes. Here are just a few things you can cook or bake using carrots:

Tips

  • Carrots tend to be at their best during late spring to late summer.
  • When purchasing carrots, look for bright colors with no limpness. Avoid carrots that appear wrinkled or bend a lot.
  • Carrots are related to parsnip, parsley and celery.
  • Carrots marry well to certain foods. In particular, they match well with apple, chives, cumin, mint, orange, parsley and raisin.[2] They are also well matched with tarragon.
  • Liquid tends to draw out the sweetness of carrots. To retain the natural sweetness as much as possible, use very little liquid for the cooking method.[3]

Warnings

  • Keep carrots stored away from potatoes, apples or pears; the ethylene emitted by these foods can turn carrots bitter.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ Larousse Gastronomique, Carrots, pp. 188-189, (2009), ISBN 978-0-600-62042-6
  2. ↑ Food: The Essential A-Z, p. 71, (2001), ISBN 1-74045-031-0
  3. ↑ James Peterson, Vegetables, p. 34, (1998), ISBN 0-688-14658-9

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