Words and images by Fiona Hugues
Carrots weren’t found in Europe until the Middle Ages and at that time doctors only prescribed them to relieve problems ranging from sexual maladies to snakebite. Nowadays they’re known to be beneficial for a bunch of things, as they are a particularly good source of beta-carotene, fibre, vitamin K1, potassium, and antioxidants, and devouring them raw retains the benefits of the power packed vitamin content. This salad is my version of French bistro classic carottes râpées (pron: car-rot-rrar-pee), and is super simple but insanely delicious, with my added sweet little pops of pickled currants and pretty chopped chives to tone down the orange. I serve it throughout the year alongside Spanish tinned sardines or flaked tuna with loads of olive oil and toasted slices of good crusty bread.
It should relieve your malady and what to have for lunch problems every time, I promise.
3–4 carrots
lemon juice, to taste
⅓ cup currants
⅓ cup sherry vinegar
chives, finely chopped
flaky sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
Place the currants and vinegar into a small bowl and microwave on high for 1 minute. Set aside to pickle.
Grate, chop, julienne or ribbon your carrots to fill a small bowl. (Please, for God’s sake don’t peel your carrots. There’s so much goodness in the skin – give them a quick scrub if you must.) Squeeze over lemon juice, and add salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Taste. Season again.
Transfer to a serving platter. Sprinkle over the pickled currants, drizzle over extra virgin olive oil, and add a sprinkle of chopped chives. Serve immediately.
