Simply Julia Recipe

RECIPE

SERVES 4

8 medium carrots (about 1-1/2 pounds, 680g), peeled

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon pimentón (smoked Spanish paprika)

Kosher salt

1 lemon, halved

1/2 cup (120g) full-fat plain yogurt (regular yogurt, not thick Greek yogurt)

1 garlic glove, minced

1 small handful fresh Italian parsley, cilantro, and/or mint, roughly chopped

3 tablespoons salted, roasted almonds, roughly chopped

Preheat your oven to 400° F (200° C).
Place a large pot of water over high heat. Once it comes to a boil, add the carrots and cook until barely tender, about 10 minutes. Place 2 tablespoons of cooking water in a small bowl and then drain the carrots and let them hang out until they're cool enough to handle.
Add the olive oil, pimentón, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the bowl with the cooking liquid and whisk well to combine.
Working with one carrot at a time on your cutting board, place a skewer or chopstick on either side of the carrot and slice each crosswise into very thin slices without cutting through the entire carrot (the skewers will help keep you from cutting through the carrots). Place the carrots in a roasting dish, cut sides up. If one of more carrots break during this cutting or transferring, don't worry about it. They'll still be great even if they're not whole!
Drizzle the olive oil mixture evenly over the carrots. Place the lemon halves in the roasting dish and roast until everything is browned in spots and the carrots are very tender, about 40 minutes.
Use tongs to squeeze the juice from the lemon halves over the carrots (I like to leave the lemon halves in the dish since they're so beautiful, but feel free to discard them).
Place the yogurt, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl and whisk well to combine. Dollop the yogurt sauce on top of the roasted carrots and sprinkle with the herbs and almonds. Serve immediately.