HASSELBACK CARROTS WITH
PIMENTÓN + ROAST LEMON
PIMENTÓN + ROAST LEMON
These are SO FUN. Inspired by Hasselback potatoes (the sliced and fanned out potatoes that originated at the Hasselbacken restaurant in Stockholm), the key to these carrots is to boil them before roasting them so that they are both soft inside and a little crispy on the outside.
SERVES 4
- 8 medium carrots [about 1½ pounds (680g)], peeled
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon pimentón (smoked spanish paprika)
- kosher salt
- 1 lemon, halved
- ½ cup [120 g] full-fat plain yogurt (regular yogurt, not thick greek yogurt)
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 small handful fresh italian parsley, cilantro, and/or mint, roughly chopped (a little stem is fine)
- 3 tablespoons salted, roasted almonds, roughly chopped
Preheat your oven to 400ºF [200ºC].
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 the 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 ½ teaspoon salt to the bowl with the cooking liquid and whisk well to combine. You’ll use this mixture in a moment.
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 or more carrots break into pieces 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 ½ 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.
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 the 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 ½ teaspoon salt to the bowl with the cooking liquid and whisk well to combine. You’ll use this mixture in a moment.
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 or more carrots break into pieces 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 ½ 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.
From the book SIMPLY JULIA by Julia Turshen. Copyright © 2021 by Julia Turshen. Published by Harper Wave, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Reprinted by permission.