A SUNNY VEGETARIAN DISH TO BRIGHTEN UP COLD EVENINGS

thoroughly.

We did, however, dine at the Hall one night, and it’s from the excellent meal we had that this week’s recipe took shape.

I went for my ‘very happy Stephen’ default of a good steak, frites and Béarnaise sauce. It’s my acid test of a competent kitchen.

One of the side dishes on offer was sweet & sour carrots, which we shared. They were absolutely delicious, and I knew I’d be making them at home.

As the days went on, I’d worked these piquant little beauties into a full-blown recipe, a sort of Middle Eastern fusion dish, combining the tangy, roasted carrots with the cool creaminess of some labneh (a strained yoghurt you’ll kick yourself for not having eaten all your life) and some soft sesame-flecked flatbreads.

A dusting of parsley and a sprinkle of tart, citrussy sumac powder, and there we have it.

A great meat-free dish that could make a formidable lunch, a tasty supper, or even to accompany a bit of protein such as fish, chicken or grilled red meats.

You could also just serve the carrots as is, alongside the Sunday roast, or chill them to use in salads and quiches.

The carrots are actually quite similar to the classic Carrottes Vichy, an old French haute cuisine recipe where carrots are simmered in Vichy spa water and a pinch of sugar until the water – which is very salty – reduces to a clear syrup with the sugar, glazing the vegetables as it goes.

Tricky to get right, but delicious.

It does, however, rather overcook the carrots, so this recipe goes for a quick par-boil, then a hot roast, to get things caramelising fast without destroying the necessary crunch of a well-cooked carrot.