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Carrots with Pine Nuts and Tarragon

Carrots are a vegetable we sometimes take for granted, but they are so full of flavour, colour and texture. Forming the base of any good classic gravy, they add a sweetness unlike most other vegetables. To show them off at their best here, I serve them three ways: roasted, pickled and just lightly seasoned, and make a vinaigrette from the carrot juice. It all adds up to create a very delicious dish. The flavour combination with the tarragon is a simple marriage made in heaven.

SERVES: 4 | PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES | COOKING TIME: 25 MINUTES

12 large or 16 medium bunched carrots, washed, tops removed (a few tops reserved)

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 star anise

120g pine nuts

2 tbsp picked tarragon leaves

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE PICKLING LIQUOR

100ml white wine vinegar

2 tbsp honey

FOR THE VINAIGRETTE

100ml carrot juice (fresh or shop-bought)

3 coriander seeds

1 tbsp rice wine vinegar

50ml olive oil

1 Preheat the oven to 210°C/190°C fan/gas 7.

2 Cut half of the carrots in half, lengthways. Thinly slice the remaining carrots and put half aside to pickle.

3 To make the pickling liquor, place the vinegar and honey in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Put half the sliced carrots in a heatproof bowl, pour the hot pickling liquor over the carrots and set aside.

4 Coat the halved carrots with the vegetable oil and season well with salt, pepper and half of the star anise, grated over the carrots using a Microplane or other fine grater. Place in a roasting tray and roast in the oven for 20–25 minutes until golden, tossing them once halfway through the cooking time.

5 Place the pine nuts on a baking tray and toast in the oven for 8–10 minutes until a deep golden colour, shaking them halfway through. Remove from the oven and set aside 20g for sprinkling over the finished dish and place the rest in a small blender. Season with salt, add 2–4 tablespoons of water and blitz to form a purée – it should have a slightly looser texture than peanut butter. Set aside.

6 To make the vinaigrette, put the carrot juice in a medium saucepan with the coriander seeds and remaining half of the star anise and bring to the boil. Simmer rapidly for a few minutes, until the liquid has reduced to around 25ml, then remove from the heat and strain into a small bowl. Mix in the rice wine vinegar and olive oil, and season with salt.

7 To assemble the dish, place the remaining sliced carrots in a bowl and dress them with the carrot vinaigrette. Spoon the pine nut purée onto 4 plates. Top with the warm roasted carrots, pickled carrots and dressed carrots. Finish with the remaining toasted pine nuts, some reserved carrot tops and the tarragon leaves.