RAW & ROASTED CARROTS AND FENNEL WITH FETA & PISTACHIOS
Reprinted from “Dining In: Highly Cookable Recipes” by Alison Roman. Copyright © 2017 by Alison Roman. Photographs by Michael Graydon and Nikole Herriott. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.
This salad is a good exercise in the magic that can occur when you treat one ingredient very differently, in this case, as raw and roasted. It’s doing a lot with a little; caramelized, tender bits of carrots and fennel mingle with slices of their raw, crunchy former selves, and, well, there’s really nothing better. This salad is also terrific at room temperature and is easily doubled, making it great for feeding a crowd, so feel free to show off this little number at your next party or potluck. Serves 4.
1 large fennel bulb, halved lengthwise
1 bunch smallish carrots (preferably with their tops)
1 bunch scallions, halved crosswise
5 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more as needed
1 cup cilantro, tender stems and leaves
3 ounces feta cheese, sliced into ⅛-inch-thick slabs (if it crumbles a bit, that’s fine)
¼ cup pistachios, toasted and chopped (see page 50 for more on toasting nuts)
NOTE: If you’re not familiar with carrot tops, they taste like a more assertive parsley. Next time you see carrot tops, save them and use like you would in pesto, salsa verde, or just general herbage—like in this salad.
DO AHEAD: This dish, sans feta and pistachios, can be made 5 hours ahead, no need to reheat. Add the feta and pistachios when ready to serve.
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Slice half the fennel into ½-inch-thick wedges and place them on a rimmed baking sheet.
If your carrots have tops, remove and set them aside. Scrub the carrots (no need to peel) and place half of them on the baking sheet with the fennel. Add half the scallions and toss with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, and roast, tossing occasionally, until the carrots and fennel are browned and the scallions begin to char, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let cool to room temperature.
Meanwhile, thinly slice the remaining carrots and fennel lengthwise and place them in a large bowl. Thinly slice the remaining scallions on a strong bias and add to the bowl with the vegetables.
Once the roasted vegetables have cooled, add them to the bowl of raw vegetables. Toss with the lemon juice, cilantro, and some chopped carrot tops, if you’ve got ’em (if not, use more cilantro, parsley, dill, or mint—whatever you have). Season with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice, if you like.
Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and top with the feta and pistachios.
In her debut cookbook, Dining In: Highly Cookable Recipes, Alison Roman, one of the most sought-after, hip, fashionable, and energetic food writers of our time, provides simple of-the-moment flavors and techniques–and what is undoubtedly a cookbook for this generation of home cooks.
Alison Roman is known as much for her keeper recipes and her simple approach to cooking as she is for her quirky, effortless style. In Dining In, she shares inspirational (and beautiful) recipes; they set today’s trends and are poised to become classics. Here, too, are indispensable quickie techniques (think slathering roast chicken in anchovy butter, roasting citrus to bring out its caramelized flavor, and keeping boiled potatoes in your fridge for instant crispy smashed potatoes).
Sample chapters in Dining In include: Vegetables; Knife-and-Fork Salads; Savory Breakfasts; Grains and Things; Fish; Meat; Sweets, and more. Recipes range from bright and fresh vegetable dishes such as Blistered Green Beans with Creamy Tahini, and Fresh Hot Sauce and knife-and-fork salad options like Chicories with Anchovy Bread Crumbs and Egg Yolk to knockout twists on grain, meat, and fish dishes from Sour Cream Flatbread and Olive Oil-Fried Lentils with Cherry Tomatoes and a Chile-Fried Egg to Seared Short Ribs with Quick Kimchi and Sesame Salt and Black Bass with Salty, Spicy Celery. Alison also offers an unbelievable array of showstopping yet simple desserts, including Double-Crust Peach Pie with Honey, Ginger, and Lime and Salted Butter and Chocolate Chunk Shortbread.
With 125 recipes and 100 stunning photographs shot by the acclaimed Michael Graydon and Nikole Herriott, Dining In is intriguing enough to seduce seasoned cooks but simple enough for the novice.
Alison Roman is a contributor at Bon Appétit. Formerly the Senior Food Editor at Bon Appétit and BuzzFeed, her work appears regularly in the New York Times and has been featured in GQ, Cherry Bombe, and Lucky Peach. The author of Lemons, a Short Stack Edition, Alison has worked professionally in kitchens such as New York’s Momofuku Milk Bar and San Francisco’s Quince. A native of Los Angeles, she lives in Brooklyn.
 |
 |