Chef Mark Payne’s Cider Brined and Roasted Carrots with Hummus, Grapes, and Pepitas – October 2019

Pickled Carrots

  • water, 16 ounces
  • apple cider vinegar, 9 ounces
  • sugar, 1 ½ ounces
  • kosher salt, ½ ounce
  • coriander seeds, 1 teaspoons
  • fennel seeds, 1 teaspoon
  • black peppercorns, ½ teaspoon
  • red pepper flakes, ½ teaspoon
  • baby carrots, washed, peeled and trimmed, 1 ½ pounds
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 sprigs rosemary
  • hummus for serving

Method

1. Pre- heat oven to 400° F

3. In a pot, bring the water, vinegar, sugar and salt to a boil. Keep hot.

3. In a dry sauté pan over medium heat, toast the coriander and fennel seeds, black peppercorns and red pepper flakes, then add toasted spices to the brine.

4. In a pot of boiling salted water, blanch the carrots for 2 minutes. Drain and pack into nonmetallic container.

5. Transfer brine to a heat-proof pitcher and pour over the carrots.

6. Cover and allow to cool, when cool, place in fridge for 12 hours.

7. Remove carrots from brine, mix carrots with olive oil, rosemary, and season with some salt and freshly ground black pepper, place on a large baking sheet.

8. Roast in oven for 15-20 minutes or until starting to brown.

9. Remove from oven and reserve.

Concord Grape Relish

Ingredients

  • Concord grapes, 1lb
  • toasted pepitas, ¼ cup
  • flat leaf parsley, ½ bunch
  • lemons, 2 each
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

1. Wash, stem, seed and dry grapes and then cut in half.

2. Wash, pick, and coarsely chop flat leaf parsley.

3. Mix grapes, parsley and toasted pepitas in a bowl, add the juice from the 2 lemons, mix through and adjust seasoning.

To serve:

Place a ¼ cup per serving of hummus on a plate, top with 3-4 roasted carrots. Spoon 1-2 tablespoons of Concord grape relish over carrots and serve.