Cooking carrots in parchment gives you the most gorgeous texture. The marriage of roasting and steaming concentrates the sweetness in the carrot while keeping the veg from getting too soft. Plus, the act of ripping open the parchment envelope adds a touch of drama otherwise missing from a standard pot of boiled carrots.
Use some common sense when selecting your carrots for this – if they’re roughly the same size they will cook evenly. Disparate sizes guarantee disparate results.
Great alongside a classic roast chicken.
Feeds 6 as a side
Ingredients
1 bunch (6) medium-sized carrots, tops trimmed and carrots peeled
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp honey
1/2 tsp red wine vinegar
Pinch of salt and pepper
Method:
Preheat the oven to 400F / 200C / 190C Fan.
Rinse the carrots so they’re a little wet and add to a bowl along with the remaining ingredients. Toss well to coat.
Rip off a long sheet of parchment roughly twice as long as a baking tray.
Lay the parchment on a baking tray, then place the seasoned carrots on one half. Scrape in any remaining seasoning from the bowl, then fold the parchment over. Starting at one corner, begin making little folds, one on top of the next, working your way around. Tightly press down the end, then fold under to seal.
Bake for 40 minutes, after which time the packet will be puffed up and the carrots cooked. Carefully open the packet – watch out for the steam – and serve.
