Joanna Pruess offers the indispensable information about how to buy, store, and cook outstanding meals using ingredients found in today’s supermarket aisles, and more than 300 tried-and-trusted recipes. She includes recipes using prepared ingredients and a minimal number of ingredients, techniques for preparing meals ahead of time, and strategies for successful grocery shopping in the twenty-first century.
I love carrots for their versatility and sweet flavor as well as for the color contrast they add to any plate. in this festive recipe, bags of baby carrots offer great convenience. Their orange tone is intensified by the cranberries that pop during cooking and blend with the Marsala wine to form an attractive glaze. Orange zest and cardamom add a subtle warmth and richness to the taste.
Select the thinnest, brightest carrots you can find. Since they are available all year, this should not be a problem. Older carrots are often large, cracked, and pale colored. They may even be sprouting roots. You can be pretty sure they will be tasteless and tough. I prefer to buy mine with the tops still on as a guarantee of freshness. This way, carrots keep for a couple of weeks in a refrigerator. With few exceptions (such as purees), I don’t use frozen carrots because their texture is inferior.
Servings: 8
2 pounds baby carrots
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 1/2 tablespoons grated orange zest
8 cardamom pods, hulled and seeds pounded in a mortar or 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 cup dry Marsala wine
3/4 cup fresh cranberries
Salt to taste
Steam the carrots until tender, about 5 to 6 minutes. Do not overcook.
Melt the butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, orange zest, and cardamom. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the Marsala and cranberries, turn the heat to high, and cook until the liquid has evaporated, about 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently. The cranberries will pop during this time. Season to taste with salt.
NOTE: This dish may be prepared several hours or even a day ahead of time and reheated over low heat.
Did you know? Another method of peeling carrots, parsnips, or salsify for cooking is to boil or steam them whole for a few minutes, then run them under cold water. Their skins will slide off. Then slice, julienne, or cook them longer, as needed. This works well when there are lots of carrots to be cleaned.
