Delicious food doesn’t have to be complicated. Today I made carottes rapées, which is a staple in French cuisine and requires almost no complicated preparation. This version isn’t completely authentic because of a few enhancements I made. Specifically, once the carrots were "rapées" (shredded), I added freshly shredded Parmesan cheese, a few capers, fresh dill and sesame caramelized walnuts.
There’s a saying in French: "Mange des carottes, ça rend aimable!", which translates to "eat carrots, they will make you become more kind". The saying owes its origin to the donkey, which has a reputation for being very stubborn. Carrots were used as, well, a carrot, to make the donkey move faster. So if you’re kids or your significant other are giving you a hard time, try feeding them carrots. It works for me!
1. Info for Shredded Carrot and Walnut Salad Recipe
- Cook Time: unavailable
- Total Time: unavailable
- Servings: 6
- Calories: unavailable
2. Ingredients for Shredded Carrot and Walnut Salad Recipe
- 8 small carrots
- 1½ tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 lemons, freshly squeezed
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons capers, drained
- ¼ cup fresh dill, coarsely chopped
- 3 tablespoons sesame caramelized walnuts (see tips), coarsely chopped
3. Directions:
- Peel the carrots and shred them using a mandoline or a food processor. If you use the Messermeister tool (see tips), you’ll get long threads of carrot. Cut them into about 3-inch pieces.
- Place the carrots in a large bowl. Sprinkle with sugar. Drizzle with the lemon juice. Toss well. Let sit for about 15 minutes.
- When you’re ready to serve, add the mustard and olive oil and mix well. Finish with Parmesan cheese, capers, walnuts, dill, salt and pepper. Toss one more time. Transfer into serving plates, leaving as much dressing as possible in the bowl, so the salad isn’t too watery.
- Voilà!