Roasted-Carrot Salad
I love this salad - easy but so elegant. Toasting the cumin for the carrots and the crème fraîche is very important, but don’t worry if you can’t find all the herbs for the garnish. Just one or two will bring pleasure. Regular orange juice works, too, if you can't find blood oranges.
Prep Time:
Cook Time:
Total Time:
Ingredients:
| 1/2 teaspoon | ground cumin |
| 1 1/2 pounds | small carrots, approximately5 inches in length, scrubbed clean andtops trimmed |
| 1 | bay leaf (fresh, scored) |
| 1 head | garlic, cut in half |
| 5 to 7 | sprigs fresh thyme |
| 1/3 cup | extra-virgin olive oil |
| kosher salt and freshly ground blackpepper to taste | |
| 2 | blood oranges, juiced |
| 1 tablespoon | white vinegar |
| 1 tablespoon | granulated sugar |
| 1/2 teaspoon | kosher salt |
| 1/3 cup | extra-virgin olive oil |
| 1 cup | crème fraîche |
| 1 tablespoon | fresh lemon juice |
| 2 teaspoons | ground cumin |
| pinch kosher salt | |
| 1/2 | small red onion, thinly sliced |
| 1 tablespoon | roughly chopped roastedalmonds |
| 2 | blood oranges, cut into supremes |
| 1 tablespoon | finely chopped fresh parsley |
| 1 tablespoon | finely chopped tarragon |
| 1 tablespoon | finely chopped chervil |
| 1 tablespoon | finely chopped chives |
| kosher salt or fleur de sel | |
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. Toast the cumin for both the carrots and the crème fraîche in a small pan set over medium heat until it becomes aromatic. Remove from heat, and set aside.
Place carrots, bay leaf, split head of garlic, thyme and olive oil into a bowl, and mix them together. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon cumin over the carrots, and mix again.
Tip the carrot mixture onto a sheet pan, and spread evenly into one layer, then season with salt and pepper and place in oven. Roast until the carrots are soft and beginning to caramelize, 30 to 45 minutes.
Remove carrots from oven, discard aromatics and set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette. Combine blood-orange juice, vinegar, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl, and whisk to incorporate. Slowly add the olive oil while continuing to whisk, until the dressing is emulsified. Add the carrots to the bowl, and toss to combine.
Make the cumin crème fraîche. Combine the crème fraîche, lemon juice and remaining toasted cumin in a mixing bowl, and stir to combine. Thin the mixture slightly with a few tablespoons of water. Add a pinch of salt.
Assemble the salad on a large serving plate. Put the crème fraîche in the center of the plate, and using the back of a spoon, spread it evenly across the bottom. Arrange the carrots on top of the crème fraîche. Sprinkle the onion and the nuts on top of the carrots, then add the supremes of blood orange. Sprinkle the herbs across the top of the salad, and finish with a pinch or two of salt. Make a mess when serving, so that everyone gets plenty of crème fraîche along with the vegetables.
Source: cooking.nytimes.com
