You may not have noticed, but carrots are an endangered species. Oh, no, they are not going to disappear. But they are becoming the Rodney Dangerfield of vegetables.
You doubt me?
Okay, when was the last time you ordered carrots as a side dish at a restaurant? When was the last time you saw them, not as part of another dish, but standing alone as a separate offering on the menu?
What’s happened? I think it’s the carrots own fault. Carrots have a flavor profile that is, to use a word I love, distinctive. But a little too distinctive? Carrots can be bitter, intense, distracting. And if not cooked enough, it’s like eating a piece of wood. If cooked too much, you have carrot mush in your mouth. Some of the carrot recipes in the past have been over the top with too many herbs, too much sweetness, or too much vinegar.
Richard Sidoli wrote a lovely book eighteen years ago: The Cooking of Parma. And here we find this carrot recipe that simply lets carrots, onions, parsley, and little sugar share the pan. The result is one of those uncomplicated dishes that ends up being rather dashing in flavor and surely offers the ability to satisfy. This is no “side dish” that you could take or leave. This is a dish that you will want to taste, one that I believe you will enjoy.
I am posting this recipe here in hope that, perhaps for Thanksgiving, you can rediscover carrots and enjoy a neglected veggie.
In my picture above, I was making the dish for two portions, so there’s just 6 ounces of carrots in that pan. The recipe below for 4-6 people does call for a full pound of carrots and you’ll want that many, for you, for others, and for leftovers.
Carote from Parma: Carrots with Onion, Sugar, and Parley
Yield: serves 4 to 6
Ingredients:
- 1 pound medium carrots or baby carrots
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium onion
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- Salt and pepper
Preparation:
If using medium carrots, wash and peel them and slice ⅛-inch thick on a 45° angle. If using baby carrots, leave them whole and wash but do not peel them.
Bring ¼ inch of lightly salted water to boil in a saucepan, add the carrots, and cook until they are barely tender. Drain the carrots.
Heat the butter in a sauté pan. Slice the onion about ¼ inch thick and add to the pan. When the onions are half-cooked, add the carrots and cook until the onions are translucent. Stir in the sugar, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.
Source: Cooking of Parma by Richard Sidoli
Photo Information: Canon T2i, 18-55mm Macro Lens, f/5.6, 1/25th second, ISO-3200