Zanahorias Aliñadas de Cádiz

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Medium saucepan, about 3L capacity
• •Mortar and pestle
• •Thin skewer or paring knife
• •Shallow nonreactive container with lid, about 1L capacity

Instructions

1. 1

   Boil the carrots

   Bring the 1.5 litres of water and 15g salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the peeled carrots whole, return to a gentle boil, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on their thickness. Start checking at 10 minutes. A thin skewer should enter the thickest part but still meet definite resistance at the centre. Lift them out at once and leave them just until comfortable to handle.

   Don't wait for a knife to slide through without resistance. The carrots keep cooking from their own heat and soften further in the marinade.
2. 2

   Pound the aliño

   While the carrots cool, pound the cumin seeds in a mortar until coarsely ground. Add the garlic and 5g salt, then work them into a smooth paste. Crush in the oregano, followed by the pimentón. Stir in the sherry vinegar and cool water until the paste loosens into a fragrant red-brown aliño. Add the olive oil last and mix well.

   If you only have ground cumin, use 4g. It works, though the aroma will be quieter than cumin crushed freshly in the mortar.
3. 3

   Dress while warm

   Cut the warm carrots across into coins 7 to 8mm thick and place them in a shallow glass or glazed ceramic container. Pour over every drop of the aliño and turn the carrots gently until the spices are evenly distributed. The liquid will collect around them rather than cover them, which is right. Let them cool for 20 minutes, turning once.

4. 4

   Rest and serve

   Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, though overnight is better. Turn the carrots once or twice if you remember, so the upper pieces meet the dressing. Take them from the refrigerator 15 minutes before serving, stir gently, and taste one. If the flavour needs lifting, add 5ml more sherry vinegar. Spoon the carrots into a small dish with enough aliño to leave a shallow red-brown pool beneath them.

Chef Tips

• •Buy firm carrots of similar thickness, with smooth skins and no rubbery bend. Very large old carrots can have a woody core that no dressing will put right.
• •Vinagre de Jerez gives the aliño a rounded wine flavour. Red or white wine vinegar is the honest substitute in the same quantity; the dressing will taste a little sharper and less nutty. Don't use balsamic, which makes the carrots sweet and muddy.
• •Use cumin seeds and pound them just before mixing the dressing. Pre-ground cumin will do at a pinch, but it loses its warm fragrance quickly once the packet is open.
• •These are better the next day, full stop. Keep them covered and refrigerated for up to 4 days, turning them through the dressing before serving. They are a refrigerator pickle, not a shelf-stable preserve.
• •Serve them as Cádiz does, cool on a small plate with bread and a fork. A cold glass of manzanilla from Sanlúcar suits the vinegar, cumin, and garlic without trying to sweeten them.

Advance Preparation

• •Prepare the carrots at least 4 hours before serving so the aliño can enter the warm slices and settle.
• •For the fullest flavour, make them 12 to 24 hours ahead. Stir once during the rest and again before serving.
• •Refrigerate leftovers in their dressing for up to 4 days. Do not store them at room temperature or treat them as a canned preserve.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 160g)