Make Chargrilled Carrots
Chargrilled carrots can be used for adding to dishes such as lasagne, pasta and roasted vegetable panini or sandwiches. They also make a great topping for pizzas. It's easy to make chargrilled carrots.
Contents
Ingredients
Raw or partially cooked versions:
- Carrots, as many as you need
- Oil (if needed), for cooking
Whole chargrilled carrots:
- 2 bunches of carrots (a standard bunch)
- 2 teaspoons of olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
Steps
Chargrilling Raw Carrots
- Select good quality carrots. Choose carrots that are very fresh and don't have any blemishes. The sweeter their flavour, the more enjoyable they will be when chargrilled.
- Wash the carrots. Dry them off or allow them to dry before proceeding.
- Cut the carrots into long thin lengths. Be careful when cutting, as the carrot can easily slip. Keep the slices as thin as possible. Lightly oil the carrot slices using a pastry brush.
- Preheat the chargrill pan to hot. If it isn't non-stick, brush with a little vegetable oil. Place on the stovetop. Cook the first side of the carrots, then turn over and cook the other side.
Chargrilling Partially Cooked Carrots
- Select good quality carrots. Choose carrots that are very fresh and don't have any blemishes. The sweeter their flavour, the more enjoyable they will be when chargrilled.
- Wash the carrots. Peel only if really needed.
- Parboil the carrots. Fill a saucepan or pot with water and bring to the boil. Place the whole carrots into the boiling water and boil for five minutes. Remove and drain into a colander or strainer. Allow to cool enough to handle.
- Slice into long, thin lengths. Be careful when cutting. Lightly oil the carrot slices using a pastry brush.
- Preheat the chargrill pan to hot. If it isn't non-stick, brush with a little vegetable oil. Place on the stove-top. Cook the first side of the carrots, then turn over and cook the other side.
Whole Chargrilled Carrots
- Make the oil for the carrots. Crush one thyme sprig. Add to the olive oil to infuse until needed shortly.
- Choose fresh, young carrots. Choose the carrots that are small, long and thin.
- Wash the carrots. Do not peel them, as they are delicate and young, so the peel won't be a problem to eat. However, do trim off the green ends.
- These are also known as baby carrots but don't confuse them with the small stubby carrots that are whittled down by machine for dipping and children's snacks. These are the whole carrot, at their young stage.
- Place the carrots into a bowl. Add a little oil and the salt. Crush the other thyme sprig and add to the carrots in the bowl. Stir it around a little to help the salt and thyme infuse the oil and coat the carrots.
- Preheat the chargrill pan to medium-high heat. Add the carrots to the pan and cook. When one side of the carrots has caramelized, turn the carrots over and cook the other side. Each side will take around 4 to 5 minutes but keep an eye on it at all times. The carrots should be soft on the inside and crunchy and caramelized on the outside.
- Remove from the heat. Place onto a serving dish. Add salt and pepper, the lemon juice and the thyme oil made at the start. The carrots are now ready to be served.
Tips
- It's a good idea to keep the peel on if possible, to maintain the maximum nutrients.
- Peel away blackened parts if you don't want them included in your dish.
- Chargrilling is also known as charbroiling.
Things You'll Need
- Cutting board and knife
- Chargrill pan
- Pastry brush, for oiling
Sources and Citations
- Whole chargrilled carrots adapted from: http://www.eveganrecipes.com/char-grilled-carrots-with-thyme-infused-olive-oil/
