Spiced roasted carrots
Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1 banana shallot thinly sliced into rounds
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp fennel seeds
2 star anise
1 tsp Aleppo pepper or chilli flakes
1 tbsp maple syrup / agave nectar
good pinch of salt and a good few grinds of pepper
squeeze of lemon juice (or orange juice in the winter for a little festive lift)
parsley and coriander leaves for garnish if you are that way inclined
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 250C / 500F. Line a large baking tray (or two depending on how big the carrots are) with baking parchment.
2. Cut the tops off the bunches of carrots, leaving 1 cm of green at the top. If the leaves are still fresh, use them to make a delicious pesto.
3. Cut the carrots into half lengthwise, or if they are fatter carrots, cut then into quarters, keeping the length.
4. Place the carrots on the baking sheets in one layer. If they do not fit in one layer, use 2 baking sheets.
5. Sprinkle over all the seasonings and aromatics and stir together until fully coated.
6. Roast for 10 minutes until starting to brown at the edges. Stir around and roast another 5 minutes or until browned and still have a little crunch. And enjoy!