Dirty Mountain Carrots

I was very fortunate as a primary school kid to be sent away a few summers to go and stay with a family in France. I was just 9 the first time I went alone and stayed in two mountain villages, one in the Jura where I remember the smells of thyme.

We visited a Swiss log cabin one day with part of the group having to walk through the forest as they’d left their passports behind. The log cabin had no running water but the food was stunning. Local Gruyere cheese and herby flavours forraged as the people smuggling went on. All very exciting for a 9 year old with no French and a family who didn’t speak English. Food and sign language meant we communicated perfectly.

While these carrots weren’t on the menu, the flavours certainly were.

Method

1. Clean your carrots but don’t bother peeling them.
2. Setup your Egg at 180°C with no surfaces, just the charcoal.
3. Once the coals are going, knock off any excess ash. 
4. Add your carrots to the top of the coals and cook for about 10 minutes, turning frequently. You’re looking for a slight char to the outside and the carrots to become slightly bendy. 
5. Take your carrots and add to a cast iron skillet. 
6. Add in the herbs, honey, and oil. 
7. Setup your Egg with the stainless grid and your cast iron pan.
8. Cook for 10-15 minutes, until the carrots are soft enough to eat.