Intensely orange carrot slices surrounded by a moat of vivid red make this dish visually sensational. The concept of carrots and raspberries came from Glorious Foods of Dallas, a marvelous caterer that prepares pureed carrots with raspberry sauce. This is a great side dish for pork, chicken, or fish.
2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 tablespoon and 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, 5 tablespoons total
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon salt, 4 teaspoons total
Sauce:
2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen raspberries, thawed
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons Chambord, Grand Marnier, or other raspberry or orange liqueur
4 tablespoons, 1/2 stick lightly salted butter
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
Boil the carrots (we used precut baby carrots) in water to cover with 1 tablespoon brown sugar and 1 tablespoon salt in a large pot until fork tender, about 10 minutes. Drain well.
To prepare the sauce, drain the juice from the thawed raspberries into medium saucepan. Stir in cornstarch and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the juice thickens. (We did this in the microwave.) Stir in the Chambord and gently fold in the raspberries.
When ready to serve, reheat the carrots by sauteing in butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, white pepper and lemon zest. Mound the carrots attractively on a platter, leaving a border around the edge. Spoon the bright red raspberry sauce into the border around the carrot mound and serve hot. Makes 8 servings.
"Cookwise" by Shirley O. Corriher
Thursday, June 22, 2000
