Because carrots are so frequently used in dishes, it may sound strange to call them “capable” or to consider them an underappreciated vegetable. But, they simply don’t get enough credit for their versatility—and we aim to help change that through creative plating techniques. Here, Chef Jamie Simpson uses the carrot in the glass and on the plate in three unique ways.
At the Bar: Clarified Carrot Cyro-Concentrate
Ingredients include two ounces of carrot juice, two ounces of mezcal, one bar spoon of kimchi reduction, and two ounces of coconut water. First, freeze the cocktail mixture in a blast chiller. Then, break the ice and allow it to drip-thaw over a coffee filter. When the liquid reaches five ounces, which is 80 percent of its total weight, remove the remaining ice and discard. Serve chilled with salted carrots.
Fine Dining: Celebrating the Carrot Trio
This unique dish uses three types of carrot: orange carrot, purple carrot, and yellow carrot. It also contains three purees, three seeds, and three herbs. Ingredients include marcona almond, micro arugula, walnut, micro celery, pepita, and coriander bloom.
Country Club Dining: Carrot Soup
This delicious dish uses salted carrot and fried carrot top, and it also raises an important question. Carrot soup isn’t something we see much on menus—and our question is: why not?
More About Carrots
Different varieties of fresh carrots come with subtly different nuances of flavor. The deeply purple cobalt carrot, for example, is delightfully nutty while the dragon carrot shares its purple hue but comes with a marvelous herbal finish. When you don’t want to include an earthy flavor from the carrot, the yellow carrot provides sweetness and nuttiness. Mixed carrots, meanwhile, allow you to benefit from a cornucopia of carroty goodness.
As noted in these descriptions, carrots come in a rainbow of colors to provide eye-catching beauty, and they also come in different shapes: long and round. Then, when you want to add carrot flavors and aromas to sauces, pesto, and so forth, the carrot bloom is ideal.
We hope you enjoyed this installment of plating food techniques!
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