Balsamic-Glazed Smoked Carrots

The origin of the carrot has been traced to Iran and Afghanistan. They were and are still cultivated for their aromatic leaves and seeds due to their woody core and bitter taste. Over the years selective crossings with less bitter and woody varieties have produced the garden varieties that we have today.

According to Wikipedia, the modern carrot appears to have been introduced to Europe in the 8-10th centuries The 12th c. Arab Andalusian agriculturist, Ibn al-'Awwam, describes both red and yellow carrots; Simeon Seth also mentions both colours in the 11th century. Orange-coloured carrots appeared in the Netherlands in the 17th century These, the modern carrots, were intended by the antiquary John Aubrey (1626-1697) when he noted in his memoranda "Carrots were first sown at Beckington in Somersetshire Some very old Man there [in 1668] did remember their first bringing hither."

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The Eastern carrots, domesticated in Central Asia, are commonly purple or yellow, and often have branched roots. The purple color common in these carrots comes from anthocyanin pigments. These pigments act as powerful antioxidants. However, it is not clear as to whether they can significantly contribute to scavenging of free-radicals from the body.

The western carrot that emerged in the Netherlands, with its orange color, has an abundance of beta-carotene, which gets metabolized into Vitamin-A. Vitamin-A is needed by the retina of the eye for both low-light and color vision. Vitamin A is also important in the growth of epithelial and other cells.

Both varieties are rich in fiber and minerals that are used to treat digestive problems, intestinal parasites, and tonsillitis or constipation.

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10 carrots (1-1/4 lb.)
3 Tbsp. dark brown sugar, optional*
1 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley

Vinaigrette ingredients
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tsp. dark brown sugar, optional*
1 Tbsp. chopped garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup olive oil

Note: This recipe can be easily doubled to accommodate a larger number of dinner guests. Prepare as directed, doubling all ingredients except for the vinaigrette. You will be using only 1/4 cup of the vinaigrette per recipe.

* Be prepared to adjust the exact quantity of sugar depending on the quality of the balsamic vinegar that you use, your intended use of any remaining vinaigrette, and taste. We will address this specifically later in the directions.

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Wood chips will generally need to be soaked in water prior to adding them to the heat source. You have to do this BEFORE you do anything else so that they have time to absorb sufficient water to give you a good smoke. Follow the soaking instructions on the package. Make sure you soak enough to be able to keep smoke going for 30 to 40 minutes. You can always dry any excess wood chip for a later use, but you won't have enough time to soak a new batch once you've started. More is better!

If you are using an outdoor charcoal or gas grill you will be wrapping your wood chips in aluminum foil, poking holes in the top of the foil to allow the smoke to escape and setting the packet on the fire. Or, you will be putting the wood chips into a smoker box. Or, you will be putting the chips directly on the coals. Check out the Steven Raichlen Best of Barbecue Wood Chip Soaker Set below. It is a very unique, ingenious and convenient way to add wood chips to your charcoal or gas grill.

You will be using an indirect method of smoking. That is, you will move your briquets to one side or you will turn on only one side of the gas grill and then place your vegetables on the "cool" side (see the picture).

If you were roasting the vegetables in the oven you would do so at 450 degrees Fahrenheit (F). However, you need a much lower temperature to produce smoke in most smokers. I generally target somewhere around 200 degrees F on my Traeger pellet grill (see the sidebar on the right). The lower the temperature the longer it is going to take to smoke the vegetables.

Prepare your smoker according to your manufacturers instructions bringing it up to the desired temperature and the point at which it begins to generate smoke. Don't introduce your carrots until you have heavy smoke or you will cook them before they have a chance to take on the desired smokey flavor.

Clean and prep your carrots. You want to carefully slice your them to the same size so that they will smoke at the same rate. I go for a 1/2 inch cube, as pictured. However, you may curl, julienne, slice on a diagonal or quarter them. I have also done longer spears and served them similar to asparagus or fresh green beans.

The more surface area the smokier the taste and the thicker your slices the longer they will take to cook.

If you are using a high quality balsamic vinegar you may not need or desire to add sugar until the next step. Further, if you are using a lower quality balsamic, but will not be using any remaining vinaigrette for other purposes, you may also wish to not add the sugar here. In any case, be sure to taste test when you do add the sugar.

Beat the vinegar in a bowl with the optional sugar, garlic, salt and pepper until sugar and salt dissolves. Then beat in the oil by droplets, whisking constantly. (Or place all the ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake to combine.) Taste and adjust the seasonings.

If not using the vinaigrette right away, cover and refrigerate, whisking or shaking again before use.

When your smoker has reached a stable temperature (about 200 degrees F) and is generating good and consistent smoke you are ready to start smoking your carrots.

Layer the carrots evenly on your smoking pan, basket or surface. Closely monitor the temperature and periodically toss your veggies. Keep in mind that each time you open the smoker you loose both heat and smoke so you need to balance the need to toss with the need to retain smoke and heat. Depending on your smoking method, your specific smoker and the desired texture of your finished carrots you should expect this to take 20 to 40 minutes.

Do not over cook the carrots! You will be tossing them in a sauce pan for a couple of minutes to finish and you don't want to end up with mush.

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When the carrots are nearly done smoking, create the glaze.

Cook 1/4 cup of the vinaigrette with the optional sugar (to taste!) and butter in small saucepan on low heat 3 to 5 min. or until thickened, stirring occasionally. This is a glaze not a sauce!

Add the smoked carrots to the saucepan for 2 or 3 minutes to warm thoroughly and to coat with the glaze.

Sprinkle with the parsley.

Serve immediately and ENJOY!

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