This week feels like the calm before the storm.
I’m taking advantage of it, because I know soon enough we’ll be deep into Christmas. Then New Years. Then babies for the rest of our lives. So what to do in the meantime? Cook and bake, rinse and repeat.
This carrot dish is a simple side that you can whip up on weeknights, but still has the elegance to stand up to a dinner party crowd.
I love the combination of spicy Harissa with the sweet maple syrup and still slightly bitter lemons. If you’ve never had Harissa before, you can typically find it at a specialty grocery store. It’s a spicy Middle Eastern paste made up primarily of chili peppers, spices, and herbs. I’m a big fan of the Mina harissa, but there are many good options out there.
Once you’ve got your carrots and lemons coated with the sauce, just roast them until everything is tender and flavorful. The sugars from the maple syrup will caramelize the lemons and make your carrots stick slightly to your pan, but that char is part of the flavor. These carrots also reheat quite nicely as leftovers, so you can make a big batch and enjoy it later.
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1-2 tablespoons harissa paste
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2½ lbs carrots, peeled and halved
- 1 lemon, thinly sliced and seeds removed
- Kosher salt
- Preheat oven to 450.
- In a small bowl, whisk together garlic, olive oil, maple syrup, Harissa paste, and cumin.
- Toss carrots and lemons with Harissa mixture in a large bowl until they are nicely coated. Transfer to baking dish and season generously with salt.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes, until carrots are tender and lemons are caramelized.
Recipe adapted, barely, from the November 2014 issue of Bon Appetit.
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