Carrot

Carrots sweeten as they roast, browning at the edges.

Flavor

How to use it

Roast hot. High heat around 220 C evaporates water and caramelizes edge sugars.

Add fat. Their orange pigment dissolves in fat; cooking with oil or butter deepens color and flavor.

Common mistakes

• Boiling them until pale and watery.
• Overcrowding the pan so they steam instead of roast.

What goes with carrot

• Harissa. Sweet carrots roasted in harissa balance its heat.
• Cumin. Cumin's earthiness meets carrot's sweetness, and roasting deepens both.
• Butter. Butter's fat carries carrot's sweetness more intensely.
• Lentil. Carrot's sweetness rounds lentils' dense texture.
• Beef Chuck. Carrot's sweetness balances the rich, savory beef in a braise.
• Coriander Seed. Coriander seed's citrusy, floral linalool lifts carrot's earthy sweetness, as in carrot soup.
• Honey. Honey's sugars caramelize with carrot's own sweetness when roasted.
• Onion. Carrot's sugar and onion's savory depth form the base of many soups and sauces.

Try tonight

• Roast with cumin and finish with lemon.
• Shave raw into a salad with lime juice.
• Glaze with butter and a little honey.

Storage

Remove green tops and keep in the fridge in a sealed bag or in water for weeks.