I wanted to make a dish that is packed with the flavours reminiscent of a Sunday roast. This side dish is great on its own or you can grill a piece of locally raised beef to have with it.”
Glazed Carrots in Beef Stock with Swiss Chard, Cayenne and Hemp Seeds
Blair Lebsack photos
“Carrots are a harvest staple and I wanted to tailor them to a side dish that is packed with the flavours reminiscent of a Sunday roast. I started by using beef tallow instead of oil or butter. The long cook in beef tallow pulls out those roasted beef flavours and even the aroma makes you feel like a roast is in the oven. Beef stock also helps build this flavour. For added freshness I added Swiss chard, cayenne and herbs. This side dish is great on its own or you can grill a piece of locally-raised beef to have with it.” –Blair Lebsack, RGE Rd.
| 8-10 | medium-sized carrots |
| ½ bunch | Swiss chard (about 3-4 pc) |
| 1 | fresh cayenne pepper |
| 4 sprigs | lemon-thyme |
| 10 sprigs | fresh chive |
| 2 T | hemp seed hearts |
| 5 T | beef tallow |
| 2 c | beef stock |
| 3 t | Riesling vinegar |
| salt to taste, and finish with Maldon salt for crunch |
Wash all vegetables and herbs. Cut carrots in half lengthwise.
Separate the chard stems from leaves. Thinly slice the leaves and put in a heat proof bowl or dish (not plastic). Thinly slice the chard stems and set aside in prep bowl.
Thinly slice the cayenne pepper, add to the chard greens bowl.
Pull the thyme leaves off 2 sprigs and leave the other 2 sprigs intact.
Thinly slice chives and put chives and thyme leaves in another prep bowl.
Warm 2 cups beef stock in small pot.
In a large pan, add 4 T beef tallow and warm. Just as beef tallow melts, add carrots in single layer on wider, or flat side to the pan. Add the thyme to the pan. Turn the heat up to medium and cook for 12-15 minutes until golden brown or just a bit darker. You may need to shuffle carrots from the side to the centre of the pan to brown them all. Season with a little salt.
Pour half of the beef fat used to cook the carrots over the chard leaves, then put the carrots back onto the heat. Add ¾ cup of stock to carrots and bring to a simmer.
While carrots are cooking stir, half the vinegar into the chard leaves and season with salt. Stir, taste, add more salt if necessary. Put the chard aside until the carrots are finished.
Carrots will cook for about eight minutes in beef stock. They will start to absorb beef stock and become sticky and glazed (if the stock has absorbed, add the remaining stock). Remove the thyme sprigs. When carrots have a nice glaze, add Swiss chard stems, other half of the vinegar and the chive mixture to the carrots. Cook for 1 more minute, turn off heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon of beef tallow, stir into the sauce, add a nice pinch of Maldon to the carrots and finish glazing carrots by spooning remaining sauce over the carrots.
To plate, put half of the chard leaves onto the plate, pile the carrots on top and drizzle with excess glaze from the pan. Add remaining Swiss chard and then sprinkle hemp seed hearts over the dish. (Image at top)
Serves 6-8 as a side dish.