Cook The Book: Braised Carrots

1. 1

   Bring a small pot of water to a boil. With a vegetable peeler, peel the zest in strips from the orange, avoiding the white pith. Finely chop the zest, place in a small strainer, and dip into the boiling water to blanch for a minute. Rinse zest under cold water; drain on a paper towel.

2. 2

   Spread zest on a plate; allow to dry at room temperature for 24 hours, or dry in the microwave for 3 to 4 minutes. Set aside.

3. 3

   Squeeze 1/2 cup juice from the orange. Set aside. Cut off carrot greens and reserve. Peel and trim carrots.

4. 4

   In a saute pan large enough to hold the carrots in a single layer, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion; saute for 30 seconds. Add the orange juice, sugar, a pinch of salt, the coriander, and carrots. Bring to a simmer, cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.

5. 5

   Add the chicken stock; simmer for 15 minutes or until the carrots are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife. Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of water to a boil, and fill a medium bowl with ice water. Pick the leaves from the carrot greens and discard the stems. Break leaves into 1- to 2-inch pieces. There should be about 1 cup of loosely packed greens. Blanch greens in the boiling water for about 15 seconds. Drain in a strainer, and immediately plunge strainer into ice water to stop the cooking. When the greens are cold, lift strainer, drain well, and dry greens on paper towels.

6. 6

   When the carrots are tender, transfer them to a plate; cover loosely to keep warm. If there is more than 1/2 cup liquid remaining in pan, return pan to burner and simmer to reduce to 1/2 cup. Combine the cooking liquid and the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a blender, add carrot greens, and blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (There will be about 1/2 cup sauce.)

7. 7

   Gently toss the mache with the oil, vinegar, sugar, and salt; add pepper to taste. Serve the carrots family-style on a platter, arranged in a bunch with the mache at the top and the sauce poured along one side, or serve 2 carrots per plate with a small mound of mache and the sauce spooned onto the side. Sprinkle the carrots with the orange zest.

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.