Whole roasted carrots with sweet and sour dressing

Ingredients

• 1kg - leafy bunched carrots
• 11/2 tbsp - olive oil
• 1 tsp - caraway seeds, toasted and roughly crushed with a pestle and mortar
• ½ tsp - cumin seeds, toasted and roughly crushed with a pestle and mortar
• salt and black pepper

Sweet and sour dressing

• 50g - golden raisins (or sultanas)
• 3 tbsp - apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp - maple syrup
• 11/2 tbsp - olive oil
• 25g - unsalted butter
• 50g - blanched almonds, roughly chopped

Procedure

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C fan.
2. Start with the sweet and sour dressing. Put the golden raisins, vinegar and maple syrup into a medium heatproof bowl and leave to plump up for about 20 minutes while you continue with the recipe.
3. Peel the carrots and trim the tops, leaving about 2–3cm of the green stems attached. Pick and set aside roughly 2 tablespoons of the leaves, to serve.
4. Spread the carrots out on a large, parchment-lined baking tray and toss with 1½ tablespoons of oil, ¾ teaspoons of salt and a good grind of pepper. Roast for 20–25 minutes, turning the carrots halfway through, until tender and lightly coloured. They may need more or less time depending on their thickness, so do check them at the 15-minute mark.
5. Meanwhile, finish the dressing. Put the oil, butter and almonds into a small frying pan on a medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the almonds are nicely browned, about 3–4 minutes. Pour the hot mixture directly into the bowl of raisins along with ¼ teaspoon of salt.
6. Add the picked carrot leaves to the dressing. Spread the carrots out on a large platter, all pointing in the same direction. Sprinkle with the toasted spices and pour over the dressing.