Spiced, Butter-Roasted Carrots with Walnuts from Something From Nothing

"I am not a very heavy-handed spice user in my savoury cooking, but there is something about sweet, earthy carrots that calls for it. Instead of getting toasted beforehand, the spices (and walnuts!) are roasted with the carrots (and an extremely generous knob of butter), blooming in the fat as they cook, the butter lightly browning as the spices come alive, the walnuts toasting, the carrots tenderising, then caramelising – all at once.

I’m admittedly wary of sweet vegetables, so I always like to anchor them in something deeply savoury. Here, raw garlic adds that intensity, but don’t worry, the heat from the just-roasted carrots gently tames its bite."  Alison Roman.

This is an edited extract from Something from Nothing by Alison Roman, published by Quadrille. Available in stores nationally. Photography by Chris Bernabeo.

INGREDIENTS  (Serves 4)

• 2 bunches small carrots (about 450 g/1 lb), unpeeled, tops trimmed
• 75 g (2½ oz/¾ cup) walnuts, coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon chilli flakes
• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tiny pieces (or more olive oil)
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped or grated

DO AHEAD

The carrots can be roasted a few hours ahead of serving, gently rewarmed in the oven if your kitchen is cold and the butter has solidified.

EAT WITH

Crisp, Hot Roast Chicken and a bowl of spelt (farro) tossed with herbs, or alongside brothy beans or chickpeas (garbanzos) and a perky salad.

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F).
2. For fun and if you feel like it, thinly slice some of the carrots into coins. Halve the remaining ones lengthways, quartering them if they’re especially large or thick (don’t overthink this!) – it’s just nice to have different shapes that lead to different textures once roasted.
3. Toss the carrots, walnuts and olive oil together on a baking tray and season with salt and pepper. Add the cinnamon, coriander, chilli flakes and fennel seeds and toss to coat. Scatter with the butter (or more olive oil). Roast, tossing every 15 minutes or so, until the carrots are deeply browned, well past the point of tender and starting to frizzle at the edges, 30–35 minutes.
4. Remove from the oven and toss with the raw garlic (the warmth of the carrots will soften the raw bite). Serve warm or at room temperature.