Roasted Rainbow Carrots with Harissa, Maple and Lemon

A Beautiful, Simple and Delicious Side Dish

When I made these for the first time during the holidays last year, they disappeared on the first pass. I had guessed they’d be a hit, but hadn’t realized how much.

Because I’d made a harissa dip a couple of years ago, I knew the roasted red pepper and spicy chile flavor is versatile and delicious. (Harissa comes from Tunisia where it’s a staple condiment made with a few variations and used in many dishes.)

Roasting the carrots is central to the whole flavor of this recipe. In recent years, I’ve been surprised to learn that roasting vegetables brings out such incredible flavor. Carrots are no exception — their natural sweetness really comes through.

Try this recipe for the holidays because it can be made a few hours ahead or prepped overnight and then roasted the day of the big meal. For me, one of the best parts is that the carrots turn out beautifully and are so appealing served on a platter. They make an inviting addition to any family gathering.

Taste Test Kitchen

We decided to increase the amount of lemon slices this time because they caramelized beautifully in the sauce and disappeared faster than the carrots. (I for sure didn’t want to be last in line and find all the lemons gone.)

Last year we used minced garlic in the recipe, but since there’s garlic in the bottled spread, we chose to add shallots. I was afraid the tender shallots might burn because the roasting temperature is high, but since they were mixed into the sauce, they didn’t burn and even held their shape. They added that wonderful subtle shallot flavor that’s somewhere between onion and garlic.

Since the recipe calls for young carrots, it’s best to lightly scrape the surfaces instead of peeling them which takes too much off. For a rustic vibe, you can leave the tender root ends untrimmed and keep a half inch of the green tops. The carrots I purchased this time were scraggly on their root ends and muddy on their tops. They were going to take too much time to scrub clean, and I certainly didn’t want to serve muddy carrots, so I just trimmed them up.

We found two great ways to make these ahead. Either roast them completely a few hours ahead, then serve at room temperature or reheat. The other option is to prep the carrots, lemons and sauce, storing them separately the night before. Then toss together and roast the day of.

This time we prepped them the night before and served them hot. They tasted great. Once again, they disappeared fast. And everyone had all the lemons they wanted.

~ Lee

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Roasted Rainbow Carrots with Harissa, Maple and Lemon

by Burnt Toast Food Blog November-16-2018

Make plenty, because these carrots are a crowd pleaser – and the lemons are a big hit, too. They’re all coated in a sauce made from harissa, a traditional Tunisian condiment that combines the flavors of smoky, roasted red peppers, hot chiles, garlic and spices. There are many variations, and grocers carry either harissa paste or harissa spread. The paste usually offers more heat, but either one combined with the maple syrup and olive oil end up being just a little spicy. It’s an easy and festive side dish.

Ingredients

• 2 heaping tablespoons minced shallots
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon harissa spread (see note)
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• sea salt
• 2 1/2 pounds small carrots, preferably rainbow carrots, with tops
• 2 lemons, thinly sliced, seeds removed

Instructions

Heat oven to 450°. 1. Trim green carrot tops to 1/2 inch. Wash carrots and scrape down sides with a knife. Leave root end intact. (Alternatively, you can trim both ends.) Cut any of the larger carrots in half lengthwise so that carrots are all about the same thickness and will cook evenly. 2. In a small bowl, whisk together shallots, oil, syrup, harissa and cumin seeds. 3. Line a roasting pan with paper baking sheets or foil. In the pan, toss the carrots and lemon slices with the sauce until well coated. 4. Roast uncovered, tossing occasionally, until carrots are tender and lemons caramelized, about 30-40 minutes depending on the size of the carrots. 5. Remove from the oven and season with salt and pepper. 6. Two ways to make this recipe ahead: roast the carrots and lemons per instructions, cool and refrigerate for up to 6 hours. Or, prep the carrots, lemon slices and sauce the day before, and store separately, covered; the day of, mix together and roast. If cooked ahead of time, bring to room temperature or reheat just enough to warm the carrots but not cook them more. Notes: - Instead of harissa spread, use harissa paste and add an additional tablespoon of olive oil to the sauce. - Meyer lemons are delicious in this recipe. Increase to 3 lemons if they are the smaller variety.

Details

Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 40 mins Total time: 1 hour Yield: 8 servings