Pistachio Herb Crusted Carrots over Spiced Yogurt
This dish is all about textures: crunchy breadcrumbs, creamy yogurt and buttery, smooth carrots. At first glance, this may seem like a lot of steps but five out of six can be done a day in advance. Future you will thank past you on the big day! See how it’s made here.
Ingredients:
2 bunches of carrots with tops (about 14 carrots)
Drizzle of olive oil
Salt
Pepper
½ teaspoon cumin powder
½ cup toasted pistachios (whole)
1 cup breadcrumbs
3 cups herbs (I used 1 cup mint, 1 cup parsley, ½ cup carrot tops, ½ cup cilantro, but you can play around with it)
1 cup full fat greek yogurt
1 garlic clove, grated
½ lemon, save for zesting
½ tablespoon toasted fennel seed, crushed
¼ teaspoon coriander
2 tablespoons honey
Special Equipment:
Aluminum foil
Blender or food processor
Basting brush
Make it!
Preheat oven to 450°. Trim carrot tops, leaving ½ inch on carrots. Set tops aside for later. Wash carrots and peel skins.
In one layer, place the carrots in the bottom of a large baking dish. Fill with 2 cups boiling water and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes (this serves as a steam bath).
In the meantime, place your toasted pistachios, breadcrumbs and herbs into a blender or food processor. If your breadcrumbs do not contain salt, add ¼ tsp salt. Pulse until the mixture is just a bit coarser than sand. Spread flat onto a baking sheet.
In a medium bowl, combine garlic and the juice of half a lemon. Let sit for five minutes to reduce the strong bite of the garlic. Then add the yogurt, crushed fennel seed, coriander, and ½ teaspoon salt. Mix and set aside.
Back to the carrots! After 30 minutes, carefully remove the aluminum foil and pour out excess water. Toss carrots with a nice drizzle of olive oil, a pinch of salt, a few grinds of pepper and the cumin powder. Roast uncovered for 20 minutes, checking halfway to turn the carrots onto the other side. They should come out looking caramelized. Pop the herbed breadcrumbs into the oven for 5 minutes, until toasty. Watch closely or they will brown! If prepping the day before, store carrots and spiced yogurt in the fridge (separate containers). Store breadcrumbs in an airtight container at room temperature.
Assembly! Do this right before serving, or your breadcrumbs will become soggy. Combine 1 teaspoon of hot water into honey and mix. Using a silicone brush, brush the honey onto both sides of the carrots and then carefully roll them in the breadcrumbs, pressing down on each side. Remove the carrots and slice most of them longways. Smear spiced yogurt on a platter and layer the carrots on top. Finish with lemon zest, olive oil and a few loose herbs. Cheers!
