This simple, flavorful roasted carrots recipe with herbed yogurt sauce comes from chef Colin Lynch of Bar Mezzana in Boston.
Roasted Carrots with Herbed Yogurt Sauce
Photo Credit : Mark FlemingThis simple, flavorful roasted carrots recipe with herbed yogurt sauce comes from chef Colin Lynch of Bar Mezzana in Boston. It’s also featured in Season 2 ofWeekends with Yankee. Learn more in the March/April 2018 Yankee feature “A Taste of What’s to Come.”
For a prettier presentation, you can buy small (½-inch-thick) carrots with their tops attached. Trim off all but an inch of the stems, then pick and wash some of the delicate leaves for a garnish. Also, for the dinner at Chatham Bars Inn, Lynch used fennel pollen in the seasoning, but this can be difficult to find. Freshly crushed fennel seeds are a great substitute.
20 small carrots with tops, peeled and left whole
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Juice and zest of 1/2 medium lemon
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill (optional)
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
1 tablespoon minced fresh mint
1/2 medium garlic clove, minced
1 1/4 cups plain whole milk Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon fleur de sel or Maldon sea salt flakes
1/2 teaspoon finely crushed fennel seeds
5 dates, pits removed, cut into strips
Carrot leaves, for garnish
Preheat oven to 375° and set a rack to the middle position. Toss the carrots with the olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper. Arrange on a baking sheet and roast until tender and caramelized, 40 to 50 minutes.
In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice and zest, herbs, and garlic with the yogurt; stir to combine. In another small bowl, stir together the sea salt and crushed fennel seeds.
Once the carrots are roasted, assemble the dish: Smear equal amounts of the yogurt mixture on four to six plates. Arrange carrots on each plate and sprinkle with date strips, carrot leaves, and fennel salt. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil.