The Feb/Mar 2012 issue of Fine Cooking featured an article on olive-oil braised vegetables by Tamar Adler.
In the introduction she describes this simple method of preparing these delicious tender vegetables…Just drizzle vegetables with good olive oil, and some fresh herbs or other aromatics, and put them in the oven to braise in their own juices. The prep takes only about five minutes, and since the vegetables largely braise themselves, there’s almost no effort involved. The results are vegetables at their best—tender, a little bit caramelized, and fully flavored from the oil and seasonings.
Vegetables prepared this way are at their best served barely warm or at room temperature which means you can prepare them early in the day or the day before, bringing them to room temperature for an hour or so before serving.
I took these carrots to my sister’s as my contribution to the wonderful meal she prepared for the Passover Seder.
Olive-Oil Braised Carrots With Warm Spices (serves 4) (Recipe is easily doubled)
To complement the sweetness of the carrots, add a tiny bit of nutmeg and cinnamon and scatter a few sliced garlic cloves in the baking dish. For a meatless meal, serve these carrots along with basmati rice and spiced chickpeas.
1 and ½ lb. carrots ( about 10 small), peeled and halved lengthwise (if large, quartered lengthwise)
3 medium cloves garlic, sliced
½ cup lower-salt chicken or vegetable broth
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch of cayenne
Kosher salt
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Fit the carrots in a snug single layer in a shallow 9×13-inch baking dish. Nestle the garlic slices among the carrots.
In a small bowl, whisk the broth, olive oil, cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne, and ½ teaspoon salt and drizzle over the carrots. Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil.
Braise the carrots in the oven until completely tender and easy to pierce with a fork, about 45 minutes. Uncover the dish and continue to braise until the spices on top have toasted and are mahogany-brown and the carrots look a little shiny, about 15 minutes more.
Serve warm or at room temperature. The carrots will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
The other recipes for olive-oil-braised vegetables in this article include:
olive-oil-braised red onions with bay leaves
olive-oil-braised leeks with thyme
olive-oil-braised fennel with lemon
Tamar Adler has worked as a personal chef and cooked professionally at Prune in New York City and Chez Panisse in Berkley, California. She is the author of An Everlasting Meal: Eating with Economy and Grace.