Originally published on March 1, 2014
Whenever I’ve made a carrot side dish, I’ve typically made only roasted or glazed carrots(with the occasional carrot salad popping up now and then.) But all the purees being shown on the cooking competition shows (think Chopped and MasterChef,) got me thinking about just really mashing them up really fine. I mean, what does that taste like? And can you use it as a side dish, or is it mainly reserved for garnish purposes? Well, I’ve made pureed carrots now and I’m happy to tell you – they don’t have to taste or look like baby food! In fact, carrot puree has become one of my favourite side dishes, and there’s something surprisingly comforting about it. And it doesn’t need to be reserved for just a side either. Paint or smear it onto the plate (we’ve all seen chefs do that on TV) and you’ve got yourself a bright little garnish that will dress up any plate!
Ingredients:
2 pounds of carrots, peeled and sliced
1 cup half and half cream
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup fresh parsley
Salt
Pepper
Directions:
1.) Place carrots in a medium saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, place cream and butter in a small saucepan and warm over low heat on a separate burner. Be sure not to keep an eye on it, as cream will boil over very quickly.
2.) When carrots are fork-tender, drain and place them in a food processor. Add cream and butter mixture, parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Puree until entire mixture is smooth.
3.) Serve and enjoy!