Expect your taste buds to go crazy for this recipe! Something sweet, orange, and delicious turns carrots into candy when they are roasted at high heat. Add garlic and preserved lemon peel, and magic is guaranteed to happen. 

Maybe you’ve never heard of preserved lemon peel? This is what happens to lemons resting in salt long enough (approx. one month) for the peel to turn translucent and develop an intriguing complexity that rests gentle on the tongue. Traditional in Moroccan cooking, they are easy enough to make with a few lemons, some Kosher salt, and a glass jar. You can also buy a jar of preserved lemons at the store (usually near the olives), but they are a little pricey, especially in comparison to putting up a jar yourself.

But preserved lemon is spectacularly delicious, goes well with tons of different kinds of veggies, fish, poultry, and meats, and will pretty much never go bad. I highly recommend you try it. 

3 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into 1 1/2 inch slices
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 whole preserved lemon
1/2 fresh lemon

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. Boil 6 quarts water. Add carrots plus a teaspoon of salt, and cook 10 minutes, until carrots are beginning to soften but still a little firm. Drain thoroughly.
3. Add carrots to a medium bowl, toss well with olive oil, allspice, salt, and pepper, and pour onto a baking sheet. Roast 20-25 minutes, shaking often, until beginning to brown in spots.
4. Meanwhile, remove one whole preserved lemon from the jar, remove and discard the inner pulp, rinse the peel under cold water and chop finely.
5. Remove carrots from the oven, add garlic and lemon, squeeze the juice of half a lemon over the carrots, and toss to combine. Serve warm, hot, or at room temperature. You can’t go wrong.

Thank you to splendid table for a prior version of this splendid recipe!