Braised Spring Carrots And Leeks With Tarragon Recipes

BUTTER-BRAISED CARROTS AND LEEKS

Steps:

• Trim the tops of the carrots. Scrub the carrots well but do not peel; halve lengthwise. Wash the chopped leeks thoroughly.
• Melt the butter in a wide pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and 1/4 teaspoon salt and toss to coat. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until almost tender, about 8 minutes. Add the carrots, lemon zest, nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1/2 cup water. Cover and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are tender, 15 to 20 more minutes.
• Add half of the herbs, the lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste; toss. Transfer the vegetables to a platter and top with the remaining herbs.

BRAISED SPRING CARROTS AND LEEKS WITH TARRAGON

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan or lidded skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks and a generous pinch of salt. Cook gently until just about tender, about three minutes. Do not allow the leeks to color. Add the garlic, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute. Add the carrots, water and salt to taste, and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer 10 to 15 minutes until the carrots are tender when pierced with a knife. Stir in the lemon juice and tarragon. Taste and adjust salt. Transfer to a platter if desired, making sure to scrape out the tasty residue from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon or spatula. Serve hot, or allow to cool and serve at room temperature. If serving at room temperature, sprinkle with additional fresh tarragon just before serving.

BRAISED LEEKS WITH GARLIC

Steps:

• Heat oil in a skillet.
• Add garlic and heat slowly until it begins to flavor oil, about 2 minutes.
• Add leeks and carrots, tossing gently to coat with oil and garlic.
• Add 2TB water, reduce heat, cover, and cook about 20minutes until leeks and carrots are soft.
• Remove lid, increase heat, and stir vegetable mix until thoroughly cooked, and most of the moisture is removed.
• Serve hot as an interesting side dish.

CARROT AND LEEK FRITTATA WITH TARRAGON

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat in a 10-inch heavy nonstick skillet. Add the carrots and leeks. Cook, stirring often, until tender, five to eight minutes. Stir in the garlic, season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 30 seconds to one minute, and remove from the heat.
• Beat the eggs and milk together in a large bowl. Stir in salt to taste (about 1/2 teaspoon), pepper, the cooked carrots and leeks, and the tarragon.
• Clean and dry the pan, and return to the burner, set on medium-high. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in the skillet. Drop a bit of egg into the pan, and if it sizzles and cooks at once, the pan is ready. Pour in the egg mixture. Tilt the pan to distribute the eggs and filling evenly over the surface. Shake the pan gently, tilting it slightly with one hand while lifting up the edges of the frittata with a spatula in your other hand, to let the eggs run underneath during the first few minutes of cooking.
• Turn the heat to low, cover and cook 10 minutes, shaking the pan gently every once in a while. From time to time, remove the lid, tilt the pan and loosen the bottom of the frittata with a wooden spatula so that it doesn't burn. The bottom should turn a golden color. The eggs should be just about set; cook a few minutes longer if they're not.
• Meanwhile, heat the broiler. Uncover the pan and place under the broiler, not too close to the heat, for one to three minutes, watching very carefully to make sure the top doesn't burn (at most, it should brown very slightly and puff under the broiler). Remove from the heat, shake the pan to make sure the frittata isn't sticking, and allow it to cool for at least five minutes and for as long as 15 minutes. Loosen the edges with a wooden or plastic spatula. Carefully slide from the pan onto a large round platter. Cut into wedges or into smaller bite-size diamonds. Serve hot, warm, at room temperature or cold.

NEW SEASON CARROTS WITH TARRAGON

Steps:

• Put the young peeled carrots (with tops attached if you can get them) in a pan of boiling salted water and cook for 4-5 minutes until almost tender. Drain, put into a pan with a close-fitting lid, then add butter, some sea salt and black pepper.
• Put on a high heat and, as soon as the butter is melted, add chopped fresh tarragon leaves and jumble gently together. Tip the carrots and cooking juices into a warm dish and serve immediately.