Caramelized Carrots with Brown Butter & Ricotta
These Caramelized Carrots with Brown Butter & Ricotta is a perfect holiday or dinner party side dish that hits on several of flavors to create an irresistible dish. Deep caramelization of the carrots, a base of creamy lemon ricotta, garnished with bright dill, and an acid punch from the pickled raisins come together to create a seriously crave-able dish worth making for any special occasion.
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November is here which means it’s officially time to start talking about holiday recipes!! Probably no surprise from me but my favorite recipes to play around with this time of year are the vegetable ones. I find that many guests don’t have very high expectations for the veggie sides so it’s easy to blow them away with unique recipes like these caramelized carrots. What makes this recipe so addictive is that we have a lot going on here (without a ton of effort) – browned butter brings a savory depth while quick pickled raisins give this a bright hit of acid and sweetness. The ricotta bed at the bottom bring in both a creaminess and a bit of fat to help even out all the flavors.
When making these caramelized carrots with brown butter, you’ll start out by browning the carrots a bit on the stove top and then transferring them to the oven to cook low and slow while you prepare the ricotta and pickled raisin topping. The carrots can be made ahead of time if you’d like but they do shrivel up a bit once cooled so their appearance won’t be as lovely as if you made them day of. They are also very forgiving so you could put them in the oven with other items and adjust the temperature up or down slightly without too much compromise on final flavor (obviously take them out a little sooner if the oven is hotter and keep them in longer if the oven is lower).
These Caramelized Carrots with Brown Butter & Ricotta is a perfect holiday or dinner party side dish that hits on several of flavors to create an irresistible dish. Deep caramelization of the carrots, a base of creamy lemon ricotta, garnished with bright dill, and an acid punch from the pickled raisins come together to create a seriously crabable dish worth making for any special occasion.
- 1 1/2 pounds carrots, trimmed, peeled and cut into 1 inch diagonal pieces
- 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
- 1/2 tsp salt (+ more to taste)
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper (+ more to taste)
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp champagne or apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup golden raisins
- 8 oz ricotta
- zest from 1 lemon
- fresh dill leaves, for garnish
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Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
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Warm olive oil and 1/2 Tbsp butter in a large oven proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes, or until they begin to develop color all over. Add salt, pepper, and cumin and sauté for another 30 seconds.
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Transfer to the oven and let roast for 45 minutes, tossing halfway through.
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Meanwhile, add the remaining butter to a small skillet and warm over medium heat. Heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring often, until the butter has turned golden, there are bits of speckled brown butter heavily covering the bottom of the pan, and it smells nutty. Remove from heat and immediately whisk in the brown sugar. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.
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Once it's cool enough to touch (if it's too hot, the butter may splatter), whisk in the vinegar and raisins and set aside so they can quick pickle while the carrots cook.
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When ready to serve, whisk together the ricotta, lemon zest, and a dash of salt and pepper. Spread into an even layer on a serving tray. Top with the carrots and the pickled raisins and their brown butter juices. Darnish with dill and serve right away.
Make sure to tag Vegetarian ‘Ventures on Instagram and use #vegetarianventures when trying this dish out!
