Miracle Carrots: Pulled and Cured

Who knew that it’s possible to create something miraculous with something so ordinary as carrots! Well, it kind of makes sense ‒ just think about carrot cake… Mmm…

However, this time it’s savoury carrot treats that we dare you to try. How about filling your burger and hot dog buns with Barbecue Pulled Carrots, and bagels with Cured Carrots this weekend?

Barbecue Pulled Carrots

For 6 hot dogs or sliders

Cooking time 35 min

Ingredients:

12 carrots

1 red onion

2 Tbsp olive oil

Sauce:

500 g tomato passata

6 garlic cloves

4 Tbsp white vinegar

4 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp smoked paprika powder

2 tsp chipotle powder

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

To serve:

6 hot dog buns or slider buns (small burger buns)

(6 vegan sausages, optional)

(vegan coleslaw, optional)

Method:

Peel carrots and grate with coarse blade. Peel onion and slice it thinly. Combine grated carrots and onion slices in a large bowl. Add olive oil and stir to combine.

Preheat the oven to 240°C. Lay carrot and onion mixture to an even layer on an oven tin lined with baking paper. Roast in the oven for about 25‒30 minutes until well roasted. Mix once with a spatula during roasting.

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Combine all the ingredients in a large pot, bring to a boil and let bubble for about 15 minutes until the sauce has reduced and thickened.

Combine roasted carrot mixture and sauce. Mix well to combine.

Heat hot dog buns or slider buns up. (If you like, fry or grill vegan sausages.) Fill your hot dog buns with pulled carrots (and vegan sausages and/or vegan coleslaw).

Cured Carrots

Cooking time 2 hours + 2 days

Ingredients:

8 large carrots

200 g coarse sea salt (adjust the amount)

4 nori seaweed sheets (used in sushi maki rolls)

Marinade:

2 Tbsp canola oil

1 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1/4 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp rice vinegar

1 nori seaweed sheet

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Wash the carrots. Leave them moist. Don’t peel.

Cut nori sheets in half and adjust them roughly to the length of your carrots. Wrap each carrot in a piece of nori. Use a little bit of water to attach the nori sheets to the carrots.

Pour a thin layer of coarse sea salt to the smallest possible oven casserole that will fit your carrots side by side. Arrange the nori wrapped carrots side by side. Cover with a layer of coarse sea salt. Pack the salt tightly around and on top of the carrots.

Bake in the oven for about 1 hour 30 minutes.

Combine canola oil, apple cider vinegar, smoked paprika and rice vinegar.

Unwrap the baked carrots one at a time, peeling one before you unwrap the next. With a very sharp knife, make a shallow cut and gently pull off the thin outer skin using the knife together with your thumb. If too much skin is coming off, let carrot cool a bit before proceeding.

Cut the peeled carrots into thin slices lengthwise. Transfer to the marinade. Tear the extra nori sheet (reserved for the marinade) into strips and gently stir into the marinating carrots. Cover and refrigerate for at least overnight but preferably for 2 days. In that time, all the acids in the marinade will tenderize the carrots, and the end result resembles cured salmon.

Use cured carrots for vegan sushi (maki rolls and nigiri), for vegan buddha bowls, bagels (don’t forget vegan cream cheese, dill, red onion and capers), sandwiches, salads…