I LOVE CREATING CARROT MAGIC

Forget kale and cauliflower – the not-so-humble carrot is totally where it’s at this winter, says Matt Preston.

THE ELEVATION OF THE carrot began back in 2011 when Noma, then the world’s no. 1 restaurant, created a signature dish around ‘old’ carrots cooked in camomile butter for almost two hours.

It was complete in 2012 when US chef Dan Barber served a large roast donkey carrot, first with lamb sauce, then, in 2014, with bordelaise sauce, instead of the steak course on the degustation menu at his Manhattan restaurant, Blue Hill.

Then there is Paris’ most lovely chef, Pascal Barbot of the three-Michelin-starred L’Astrance, who became most animated when describing to me the best way to peel a baby, or Dutch carrot. ( Throw it into a pot of boiling water for a minute, then take it out and give it a rub; the skin slips clean off.)

The advice that follows allow you to truly understand why I consider the carrot the best of all winter vegetables.

EAT THEM RAW

Pickle ribbons of carrot and radish to serve piled up alongside fatty roast lamb shoulder; or cure ribbons in a 20/80 salt/sugar mix to serve, well-drained, in a salad with orange segments and fresh mint. Dress with olive oil, a little lemon juice, honey and a drop of orange blossom water, or just with a sprinkling of dukkah.

EAT THEM BRAISED

Carrots are perfectly suited to roasting and poaching in a baking tray. Brown chicken thighs, halved carrots and squares of smoked streaky bacon in a tray. Deglaze with a generous splash of medium sherry, then arrange the thighs, skin-side up, with the carrots. Throw in a few halved fresh and dried apricots, half-a-dozen crushed garlic cloves, a pinch of saffron, two strips of lemon zest, and finely chopped dill and parsley stalks. Pour in chicken stock to come halfway up the thighs, then sprinkle over soft brown sugar, a little salt and some cardamom powder. Bake in a 180°C oven for an hour. Rest for five minutes, then serve with brown rice. Before you dish up, squeeze over lemon juice, sprinkle with salt, and cover with a blanket of chopped leaves from the dill and parsley.

EAT THEM ROASTED

Roasting does wonderful things to carrots; they become more intense and sweeter. I’ll halve roast carrots lengthwise and toss over brown rice with pan-fried Chinese sausage ( lap cheong), loads of toasted cashews, and sesame in both oil and seed form. I’ll add heaps of parsley or fennel fronds for greenery.

EAT THEM SWEET

Carrots also love sweetness, which is why they are so often served tossed with butter, honey and coriander seeds. They can stand up to far funkier combinations, such as the addition of fresh peaches to a carrot puree to serve with pork or duck, an idea of MasterChef 2015 winner Billie McKay. ALMOST ALWAYS NEVER GRATE THEM There aren’t many things that I hold in such high disdain as grated salad. Yet grated carrot is also the starting point to two of my favourite dishes. One is a North Indian carrot halwa, which is a bit like a very-slow-cooked rice pudding made with grated carrot rather than rice and flavoured with cardamom and cashews. While the other is a carrot jam. This version is based on an ancient recipe by Mrs Beeton, and is perfect served with cheese and cold meats. Visit delicious.com.au for more on Matt’s love of carrots.

CARROT JAM MAKES 2 CUPS

700g coarsely grated carrot 500g caster sugar 8 cardamom pods Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon,

plus juice from extra 1/2 a lemon Pinch of saffron threads Thinly sliced toasted baguette, prosciutto, salami

and hard cheeses, to serve

Combine carrot, sugar and 1 tsp salt flakes in a bowl and stand for 10 minutes until carrot releases its juices.

Meanwhile, bruise the cardamom pods, reserving seeds and discarding pods. Using a mortar and pestle, pound cardamom seeds until coarsely ground.

Add carrot mixture, lemon zest and juice, saffron and ground cardamom seeds to a saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 12-15 minutes or until almost all the liquid has evaporated and the carrot is translucent. Stir through extra lemon juice. Serve with baguette, prosciutto, salami and cheeses. (Jam will keep, unopened in a sterlised jar, for up to 6 months and 1 month once opened and chilled.)