Fig Jam and Fennel Seed-Roasted Carrots
An autumn dish that’s easy to make at home
Here’s a delicious, easy-to-make dish for your fall table! The prep work takes maybe 10 minutes, and the roasting might be a bit longer, but you can of course do a host of other things while the carrots are cooking!
To make the dish, start by buying a bunch of local carrots. Supermarket carrots could, I suppose, still work, but there’s a huge difference in flavor. Wash the carrots and pat them dry. From there, you can either leave them whole or cut them into 1- to 2-inch chunks. I kind of prefer the whole carrots for their look on the plate, but it’s easier and quicker to eat if you cut them into pieces.
Mix a good amount of fig jam with a little extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of fine sea salt. Whisk quickly or mix with a fork until the oil is incorporated. Add a spoonful of cracked, toasted fennel seeds and mix them in as well.
Preheat the oven to 450° F. When the oven is hot, put the carrots into an open roasting pan. Pour the fig jam mixture over top and move the carrots around until they’re nicely coated. Put the pan in the oven, uncovered, and cook until the carrots are soft and the jam has begun to caramelize on the outside. You may want to stir them once or twice while they’re roasting to get more even cooking—it should take about 25 to 45 minutes, depending on the size and freshness of the carrots.
As nationally recognized food writer, and my good friend, Molly Stevens reminds me in her wonderful book All About Dinner: “The fresher the carrots, the more quickly they will cook—and the more they will brown, thanks to their higher natural sugar content. Carrots that have been in storage for a long time may not brown much, so use the tenderness test.” Molly has a great roasted carrot recipe of her own in All About Dinner, and if you want to learn more about the technique of roasting, another amazing book of hers—titled, simply, Roasting—is highly recommended for anyone who likes to cook!
