I love carrots. I love them roasted in a hot oven with crushed cumin seeds, simmered in orange juice with currants, cinnamon and a touch of honey, or steamed and tossed with butter, garlic, ginger and lime.
What I don’t love is raw carrots. Probably because I associate them with dieting. I especially don’t love those horrid little whittled down pathetic-excuse-for-a-carrot carrots. You know the ones. The chubby stubs with the rounded ends sold in cellophane packages and erroneously labeled as baby carrots (or in some cases, slightly more accurately as baby-cut carrots). Call them what you will but the fact remains that they are manufactured from big carrots (or parts of big carrots). Shaped, smoothed and polished using a machine.
Just recently, I discovered a new way to love carrots. Pickled!
The recipe for pickled carrots and fennel comes from Chef David Chang, the genius behind the award-winning Momofuku restaurants in New York city, and the co-author of the book by the same name. Many of the recipes presented in are quite complex but there are some noteworthy exceptions, including this one for Momofuku’s Vinegar Pickles.
This was my first time pickling anything. The entire process took me fifteen minutes. Start to finish. Seriously. There is nothing to cook and no jars to sterilize. Just peel and julienne some veggies, stuff them into clean jars, and fill with brine (rice wine vinegar, sugar, salt, coriander seeds and tap water). Put the lids on the jars and put them in the refrigerator. Wait four days (this is the hardest part). Not only was this my first time pickling, it was also my first time tasting pickled carrots, and I was delighted to discover that they are absolutely delicious!
You can get the full recipe HERE.
†DISCLOSURE:
This post includes Amazon affiliate links and I receive a tiny commission on any sales they may generate.
It’s funny, you associate raw carrots with dieting, I associate them with my grandfather’s garden. As youngsters, we would pluck ripe carrots out of the ground, rinse them off under the outdoor faucet, and eat them without even skinning them, and I still think they were the best carrots I have ever eaten.
What a great memory! I have a negative association with raw carrots and I don’t really care for them. You, on the other hand, have a wonderful positive association and you love them. It’s very interesting how much our personal experiences and emotions help to shape our palates.
Thanks for taking the time to comment. Hope you have a great weekend!
I’m with you. Can’t stand raw carrots! I do like them very well-done in soups or stews though.
Thank goodness I’m not the only one!
I do love carrots but have not tried them with fennel… Must be delish!
This was my first time having them together too – they make a nice combination.
Pingback: Quick and Easy Refrigerator Pickles « Modern Alice