Smoked Carrot Puree

Dinner last night was exactly what I needed to get me back here.  It was good.  No, really f*ing good.  Other things I have been making lately have been fine, meh, okay, but not enough to inspire me to download the pictures and write about them.

But then this smoky carrot puree comes and blows me out of the water.

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, we went to dinner with friends at Nopa (consistently some of the best meals – highly recommended to those visiting SF) and I haven’t been able to get one of the starters out of my head.

It was grilled sardines on toast with a carrot hummus.  Out of this world.  The carrot when combined with the sardines gave it an almost uni-like quality.  Ah-mazing.

And then my friend Kimberley posted a smoky carrot hummus on her blog a few days later. Obviously carrots have been stalking me.

I finely decided to give in and try out my own version, and now I am wondering why I waited so long.

Combined with a combination of spices that were subtly sweet, spicy and smoky these carrots became things of dreams.  And topped with a quick pan-roasted hake (quite possibly my new favorite fish — it has large flakes and is mild and a barely sweet, similar to black cod), it became the best dinner we could remember having.

So good, it even held up to its original inspiration.

As a quick aside, this puree is also great cold as a dip.  I may or may not be munching on the leftovers with sesame rice crackers while typing this.  No, I would never resort to snacking between breakfast and lunch.

Smoked Carrot Puree

NOTE:  I did absolutely no measuring when I made this, just eyeballed it all – no surprise there.  But it is too good not to share as a “recipe” – so this is my best guess.

Also, next time I will make a much larger batch, as I would love to keep it on hand in the fridge for quick snacks. For a dinner side, I would plan on about 2-3 (good size) carrots per person.

If you don’t have smoked salt, do not increase cumin to make up for it – it is a different kind of smokiness.  Smoked salt has more of that “beach bonfire” wood-smoke taste.  It is something I love having on hand to use as a finishing salt.  You can find it now in some grocery stores, specialty food stores, Williams-Sonoma and online.

• 1½ pounds carrots, peeled
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¹⁄₈ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon aleppo pepper (a few red pepper flakes would also work) :: aleppo pepper is slightly smoky and moderate heat
• smoked salt
• kosher salt
• pepper
• water

Preheat oven to 425ºF.

Chop the carrots into 2″ pieces, keeping them equal so they roast evenly.  Toss with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil (just enough to coat all the pieces), cumin, cinnamon, aleppo pepper.  Add a pinch of both kosher and smoked salt and a few grinds of freshly cracked pepper.

Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for 25-35 minutes, until golden and soft, tossing once during roasting.

Once the carrots are roasted, transfer to a food processor.  Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and ¼ cup water and puree, adding additional oil and water (a tablespoon at a time) until it has the desired consistency.  Taste and adjust for seasoning, perhaps adding a few more flakes of smoked salt.

To serve, use as a base for your favorite chicken or fish, or as a dip with bread or crackers.  Top with a small drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of smoked salt.  Can be served at any temperature.