You Are a Fool If You Don’t Fry Carrots
I don’t know if carrots are underestimated or overestimated (in general), but I know that grilled carrots are almost criminally ignored. Yes, grilled corn is hard to compete with, but grilled carrots are a smoky, sweet and charred wonder, and I’m here to demand that you pay attention to them.
Carrots are high in sugar, and charred, almost burnt sugar tastes very good. The dark smokiness created by the grill (or grill pan) lends this sweetness something special, creating a perfectly balanced, very summery side dish to suit any diet. Besides carrots, you only need olive oil and salt. You can make a dipping sauce or drizzle with chimichurri, but I don’t know why you need to create more work for yourself. To make these salty, sweet, smoky treats, you’ll need:
- A bunch of carrots, rainbow if you find
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt
Remove all tops, then rub or peel the carrots and cut them in half lengthwise if they are not exactly tiny babies, in which case you can leave them whole. Place them in a large bowl, drizzle with oil, add two pinches of salt and stir. Heat a grill (or skillet) over medium-high heat. Place the carrots on a wire rack and cook for 15-20 minutes, turning every five minutes or so, until they are nice, charred and can be easily pierced with a fork. Serve as a simple side dish and cook more than you think, because any leftovers make a great addition to cold salads. (Don’t serve them as hot dogs, though – this is disrespectful to both carrots and hot dogs.)