Recipe: Carrot Ribbon Salad with Aromatic Spices, Mint, Oranges, and Citrus Dressing

CARROT RIBBON SALAD WITH AROMATIC SPICES, MINT AND ORANGES

"This is clean-tasting and citrusy. Serve with a light fish dish or on a picnic with chicken and other salads. A "Y"-shaped peeler works well for the carrots."

2 large oranges
4 large carrots (about 1 1/4 pounds), peeled and ends trimmed
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for drizzling
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons lime juice
Fine sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
20 mint leaves, tucked into 1 tight roll and cut into very thin strips
Freshly ground black pepper

TO SEGMENT THE ORANGES:
Use a sharp knife to cut off the top and bottom of both oranges; stand each orange on end. Working vertically around the oranges, one at a time, use a sharp paring or serrated knife to cut away and discard the peel and white pith. Working over a bowl, slice between the membranes to remove all the orange segments, letting them drop into the bowl; squeeze the juice from the membranes, then discard the membranes. Transfer the segments to another small bowl and strain the juice over them to remove seeds. Set aside.

TO MAKE CARROT RIBBONS:
Use a vegetable peeler to slice the carrots into long ribbons, rotating the carrot after each pass. Stop slicing when you reach the lighter-colored core. You should have about 8 cups of loosely packed ribbons.

Fill a medium bowl with ice water and set aside.

Place the garlic cloves in a large saucepan of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the carrot ribbons to the boiling water and cook for 2 to 4 minutes, or until tender (you may have to do this in batches). Quickly drain the carrots and plunge them into the ice water bath. Discard the garlic. When the carrots have cooled, drain well on paper towels. (At this point, the carrot ribbons can be covered and refrigerated in their ice-water bath for up to 1 day.)

TO MAKE THE SALAD:
In a bowl large enough to hold the carrots, combine the olive oil, lemon and lime juice, a pinch of salt and the cumin. Toss the carrots with the dressing, then add the orange juice and segments. Add the mint and season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours for the flavors to develop.

TO SERVE:
If there is a lot of liquid in the bottom of the bowl, strain it into a small saucepan, place the pan over medium heat and reduce the liquid by about one-third, or until it has concentrated in flavor. Remove from the heat and let cool. Place the salad in a serving bowl, mounding it slightly in the center. Drizzle with the reduction, if you have it, and olive oil.

Makes about 4 cups (4 side-dish servings)
Adapted from source: Happy in the Kitchen by Michel Richard