Carrots!!!! and more carrots!

Oh, its not a clear well-lit photograph, the braised/roasted carrots and brisket to the right, so I may need to rely on words to describe it: tender (yes, to use that cliche but effective description: fork-tender) strands of beef, the characteric way that brisket is at its best. The top of the meat is crusty, sprinkled with a few grains of coarse sea salt before  being served; the surrounding carrots–this dish’s raison d’etre–are tender, intensified by their long cooking, browned and caramelized by the heat of the oven.

First I simmered the brisket with carrots, parsnips, leeks and whole garlic cloves in a mixture of beef broth with a few dried porcini mushrooms.  The meat was not tender yet, but halfway there.

Then I put meat and vegetables into a glass roasting pan just large enough to hold it, and ladled in enough liquid to almost but not entirely cover it all. I drizzled olive oil on top as the meat was very very lean. If yours isn’t, omit the evoo.

Then I popped it into the oven, and roasted for about an hour and a half, until the meat was sooo  tender and the carrots as caramelized (at least on top) so sweetly that they could nearly be candy. Every half hour or so, as the liquid cooked down, i ladled a little more in; the last half hour I let it all just cook down until it was intensely delicous. And really, I did nothing more except sprinkle with sea salt. And it was superb.

With the leftover broth and vegetables, mostly a lot of carrots, I added a little chard, and some chopped up broccoli rabe. When it was heated through and tender, I ladled it over al dente small macaroni as an Italian style primo piatto, a light vegetable and pasta soup.

While the beef and carrots were braising, I pickled some carrots with onions and jalapenos. It filled up a jar and a half of refrigerator pickles; the next several weeks will be accompanied by this lovely Mexican/Central American escabeche.

Meanwhile, I decided to make Indian Cardomom-Scented Sweet Carrot Dumplings: I had eaten sweet potato/yam dumplings made by Mridula Baljekar at her book launch for The Food and Cooking of India; those delicious dumplings made an impression on me.

I adore Indian sweets but they are usually just so rich and sweet I shiver and shake all over inbetween bites. Not that I stop eating or am less greedy, oh no, but in any event, the idea of something that would have Indian flavours but not be so heavy as to leave me near-comatose, THAT I would like. And THAT was what Mridula’s gorgeous dumplings were. Because I had a mountain of carrots, I decided to make them using carrots instead of sweet potatoes/yams.

The carrots are first cooked, then mashed, then mixed with a few grains of salt, tiny bit of sugar and a hit of cardomom, as well as a spoonful of cream to help it make a batter consistency, and enough flour to bind it all together. I also added a spoonful or two of coconut flour, for a chewy rather than cakey consistency. Then I formed quenelle-shaped dumplings and browned them over a medium low heat, in a non stick frying pan with a few drops of evoo……turning them once or twice, as they firmed up. I tried to keep them from browning too much, which would take them more into pancake and less into dumpling, territory.

As they sat on their cooling tray two things happened: one: i began to think about the syrup, which by all rights would be brown sugar, water, cardomom and a little rose water. Two: my three Jack Russells, Jake, Oscar and Lambchop, gathered around me and begged for dumplings. Of course I gave in: there is nothing too unhealthy for dogs, though there is a little sugar, and I only let them have a small amount of dumpling in any event.

Here is a picture of the dumplings, plain.

And here is a picture of the dumplings in a brown sugar, cardamom and rose water syrup (sadly, a darkly lit foto, the sun was going down).  As the dumplings sit in the syrup they somewhat absorb the syrup–not completely as a crisp dry or spongey pastry would do–these are already dense and moist, as they are mostly carrots; they do , however, absorb some of the syrup. They also get softer, and sodden. But lets put it this way: deliciously sodden with syrup.

The dumplings are delicious whichever way you make them. And if you’re making a batch just for the doggies, leave out the sugar altogether–and if you’d like the dumplings to be sweet but without sugar, you could put a few spoonfuls of honey. Also for the dogs: forget the syrup. The sweetness isn’t good for them, but in any event: mine actually preferred without.

Note: I think that these could go deliciously into the savoury direction as well. Stay tuned.

Sweet Indian-Cardamom Inspired Carrot Dumplings

Serves 4-6

2 cups coarsely mashed carrots–I started with a fairly large pile; I boiled them until just tender enough to be mashed, then drained and mashed them with a potato masher. After i measured 2 cups I used the rest for the North African carrot dip, Zalook.

2 tablespoons confectioners sugar

2 tablespoons coconut flour or finely ground coconut

2 tablespoons double cream, so thick it needs to be spooned, not poured; mascarpone or cream cheese can be used instead

5 rounded tablespoons plain flour

Pinch of salt

Seeds from 3 cardamom pods

A small amount of evoo, for frying

Mix the sugar, coconut flour and double cream or mascarpone into the carrots then stir in the flour, salt and cardamom. You want a thick mixture somewhere between a batter and a dough.

Heat a small amount, say a teaspoon, evoo, in a nonstick frying pan and over medium low heat, make quenelle shapes using two soup spoons, and ease each into the pan. Let cook on first side, until it is golden and a little browned and feeling firmish, then gently turn over onto its second side. You can let them brown a little bit but they look nicer more pale.

Eat as is, or…….drench and then soak in syrup.

Syrup:

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

2 tablespoons white sugar

1/3 cup water

Seeds from 3 cardamom pods

A dash of rosewater: the exact amount depends upon the type and strength of the brand you are using

Combine the sugars and water in a small saucepan with the cardamom, and bring to a boil. Let boil until the sugars are dissolved and the syrup is a little bit thickened, say 5 minutes or so.

Let cool somewhat, then gently pour over the dumplings, or place the dumplings into the syrup. Leave to soak up the liquid, taking care when you move them around that as they absorb the liquid they are more prone to fall apart.I would let them soak at least 2 hours.

Cover until ready to serve.

Note: I chilled the leftovers, about half the batch, and kept them in syrup in the fridge; half of them were in the syrup, half were on top (it was a jar), and they were all even better, two days later, chilled. I think the reason is because the chilling firms them up; both the soaked and sodden with syrup and the ones resting on top, were great. I recommend making them ahead of time!