Chef Forum banner

Lemon Soaked Carrots?

11K views 12 replies 10 participants last post by  Krissy 
#1 ·
A few years back, I was at a restaurant, and one of the sides was essentially "shredded Carrots soaked in lemon juice" (not sure what it was actually called). Honestly, I wasn't sure what to think about it, It seems like a very weird combo.
But I fell in love with it. Its a very unique, airy flavor, but despite many tries at replicating it, I've never really did well. I've tried everything from just shredding the carrots and letting them sit in some juice for a little bit, to even Soaking baby carrots in a bowl for a few nights. While that one did not really turn out the same, they go great with dip, though.

Anyone know what I might be missing? for something that seems to simple, its pretty frustrating.
 
#3 ·
I've never heard of this but it made me wince when reading the original post. Can't imagine... But there's a weird carrot dish at our local Brazilian barbeque that might be similar... shredded mostly raw carrots with some sort of acid that might be lemon-ish and parsley. Not really very tasty but provides intestinal roughage so it can t be too bad.

Orange glazed (soaked, I suppose, is another way of phrasing it) is perhaps a bit more "traditional". I do that two ways: braise in orange juice, or sauce with orange juice after the carrot is cooked and soft enough to accept a liquid infusion.

I doubt that soaking a raw carrot really gets to the desired end in any significant way... unless one is looking for more of a pickle than a side dish.
 
#4 ·
Without knowing any more information, its rather difficult to track down the specific dish.

But, serving shredded carrots with lemon juice is not at all unusual or uncommon. I encountered a similar dish in the Middle East that consisted of shredded carrots, lemon juice and salt. It was typically served as a snack. I have also encountered close variants of this dish in Europe, particularly France and Italy.

In any case, try using some lemon zest along with the juice. Play around with the ratios of zest to juice until you find the right balance between acid and lemon flavor. Don't forget to add a pinch of salt to balance out the flavors.

Good luck. :)
 
#5 ·
A few years back, I was at a restaurant, and one of the sides was essentially "shredded Carrots soaked in lemon juice" (not sure what it was actually called). Honestly, I wasn't sure what to think about it, It seems like a very weird combo.
But I fell in love with it. Its a very unique, airy flavor, but despite many tries at replicating it, I've never really did well. I've tried everything from just shredding the carrots and letting them sit in some juice for a little bit, to even Soaking baby carrots in a bowl for a few nights. While that one did not really turn out the same, they go great with dip, though.

Anyone know what I might be missing? for something that seems to simple, its pretty frustrating.
RECIPE BY COASTAL LIVING: "You'll find this often served in rustic restaurants in France"
https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/grated-carrots-with-lemon-black-pepper
If that helps...
 
#10 ·
Don't know if this is similar or not, but here is my version of a Moroccan carrot salad.

Shlata Chizo
Weight or Volume / Ingredients
½ pound carrots, peeled, grated
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ teaspoon orange flower water
1 teaspoon mint, chiffonade
1/8 teaspoon cardamom, cracked
to taste salt
to taste black pepper
Procedure:
Combine all ingredients and toss well.
 
#13 ·
This should probably help everyone. I've make this. My grandma taught me how and sugar is the key to the flavor profile.
You'll find you'll need more salt after you've added sugar. If you don't do it at the same time or I don't have the measurements. I would follow this recipe, you can also cut it in half if you're not a hundred percent committed. You may as well try it and then make a big batch when you feel like this is it
 
#11 ·
ts a very unique, airy flavor, but despite many tries at replicating it, I've never really did well. I've tried everything from just shredding the carrots and letting them sit in some juice for a little bit, to even Soaking baby carrots in a bowl for a few nights.
Have you tried not soaking them at all? I mean toss them with a little lemon juice and serve right away?

I would also experiment with the seasoning: different amounts of salt. Sometimes carrots need more salt than you would guess. Or you could skip the salt and season with sugar. Often done in Asian cuisines.

Finally you could experiment with cutting the carrot julienne by hand, which will give you nicer cuts than a food processor will.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top