Braised Carrots with Red Wine and Orange

We’re old movie buffs.

I’ve never really understood the terminology, but that is what we are.

We love them. It was Bette Davis’ 100th birthday and Turner Classic Movies was celebrating this amazing actress all day long. Now Voyager, All About Eve, the perfect movies, familiar enough to be able to read and do other things while watching, stopping to say the famous lines out loud to each other when the time came.

I decided to have Groom grill lamb chops for dinner but I wanted something different than asparagus or potatoes to go with them. I had marked a recipe from Patricia Wells’ Provence Cookbook that braised carrots with onion and tomatoes. Carrots, as you know, just get sweeter as you cook them and these are browned and then braised with tomatoes and onions for an hour. A little fresh mint at the end as a garnish and carrots will take on a new dimension.

Familiar ingredients with a twist.

Braised Carrots with Red Wine and Orange

adapted from Patricia Wells' Provence Cookbook

1 pound carrots, peeled and trimmed
A couple of swirls of extra virgin olive oil
4 fat cloves garlic, peeled and halved
1 large sweet yellow onion, sliced very thinly
½ cup red wine
1 14 oz can san Marzano plum tomatoes, drained and chopped
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
Bouquet garni made with l three inch piece of the green part of a leek, celery leaves and fresh thyme tied with twine
2 Clementine oranges, chopped as best you can, rind included (you can use 1 small orange instead of the Clementines, which are very small)
A little freshly chopped mint and Italian parsley

Heat a large cast iron skillet over moderate heat. Add a couple of swirls of extra virgin olive oil. When hot, but not smoking add the carrots.

Season with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook uncovered for twenty minutes, rolling the carrots around so they brown evenly.

Remove carrots from pan. Add the onions and cook til golden brown. Then add the remaining ingredients and put the carrots back in the pan on top of the onion mixture. Cover and cook on low for one hour, check on it to be sure the braising mixture does not burn. You can add a bit more wine as you go, if the mixture becomes too dry.

Remove bouquet garni and serve sprinkled with fresh mint and Italian parsley.

Serves 3 generously. Goes wonderfully with lamb chops!

Braised Carrots with Red Wine and Orange