Sweet and Sour Roasted Carrots

steps

1. Prep the carrots: Trim the carrot stems, leaving some of the stems intact. Cut carrots in half lengthwise; if they are large, cut down into smaller pieces that are even in length. Place carrots in in cryovac bag with the olive oil and thyme; if carrots aren’t fully coated, add more olive oil. Do not overfill the bag. Cook sous vide at 90 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Place bags in ice water to chill quickly before cutting the bags open. Set aside.
2. Make the shallot crumble: Combine all ingredients together in a bowl. Once incorporated, break up into crumbles and lay out on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees until golden brown. If the crumbles are too big, break them down into small pieces. Let cool before storing in an airtight container.
3. Roast the garlic: Cut off the root end of the garlic bulb. Drizzle olive oil over top, then wrap tightly in foil. Place in an oven at 300 degrees for about 45 minutes. Set aside.
4. Pickle the onions: Combine the vinegar, water, sugar, star anise, long pepper, and peppercorns in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes. Strain the liquid, discarding the solids, and pour over the onions while the liquid is still very hot. Place the onions in the fridge to cool slowly.
5. Finish the carrots: Heat saute pan over high heat. Add the oil. Once the oil is smoking slightly, place the carrots carefully in the pan and sear until the edges caramelize and are almost burnt. Once the carrots have caramelized, move them around and add butter to ensure more browning. The butter will foam up. Add shallots, pickled onions, and roasted garlic cloves to pan. After about 40 seconds, deglaze with pickled onion liquid. Add lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
6. To serve: Place the carrots onto a plate and mist with balsamic vinegar. Drizzle honey over carrots and sprinkle shallot crumble on top.