The Chubby Vegetarian’s Carrot “Lox” with Onion, Capers, Dill & Créme Fraîche

Carrot “Lox” with Red Onion, Capers, Dill & Créme Fraîche

Cookbook author Justin Fox Burks, author of The Chubby Vegetarian: 100 Inspired Vegetable Recipes for the Modern Table (Susan Schadt Press, 2016) and The Chubby Vegetarian blog

Justin recommends making this vegetarian and gluten-free dish for your next holiday party. “When you’re showing off your lovely carrot ‘lox’ plate, and someone exclaims, ‘That’s the most beautiful piece of salmon I’ve ever seen,’ you can just say, ‘Yes, it is; yes, it truly is!’,” he says of this dish that makes a delicious conversation piece.

Carrot “lox” with red onion, capers, dill and créme fraîche is cookbook author Justin Fox Burk’s vegetarian play on the classic smoked salmon dish. It will make a delicious conversation piece for your holiday buffet table. Image: Justin Fox Burks

Carrot "Lox" with Onion, Capers, Dill & Créme Fraîche

 

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Author: Justin Fox Burks of The Chubby Vegetarian

Serves: Serves 6 to 8 as an appetizer or 4 as a main dish

Ingredients

• 1 pound organic carrots (about 5 to 6 large carrots)
• 2 teaspoons smoked sea salt (or Kosher salt and a few dashes of Liquid Smoke)
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons cracked black pepper
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Diced red onion, to garnish
• Capers (in salt or brine), to garnish
• Fresh dill, to garnish
• Créme fraîche, to garnish
• Lemon wedges, to garnish

Instructions

1. Peel and very thinly slice the carrots longways on a mandoline or use a serrated vegetable peeler.
2. In a small bowl, combine the smoked salt, brown sugar and black pepper. Layer the carrot slices in a large bowl and add a pinch of the spice mixture to each layer until all of the carrot slices and spice mixture are used. Set the bowl of carrots aside for 30 minutes. The salt will soften the carrots and leach out much of their liquid.
3. Remove the carrots from the bowl, and discard the liquid and spices that have gathered at the bottom. Add the carrots, eggs and lemon zest back to the bowl and toss to coat each strand with egg. Line a ¼-sheet pan with parchment paper and brush it with olive oil.
4. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Starting with a long strand of carrot, lay it flat across the parchment paper. Continue to lay the carrots one after the other, overlapping them almost completely. Pair shorter strands together to span the length of the dish. Once all the carrots are laid out, brush the top with the egg that remains in the bottom of the bowl. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil to seal in the moisture. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until carrots are just tender. Keep covered and allow them to cool.
5. Uncover and slice down the middle using a sharp knife. Serve at room temperature garnished with red onion, capers and fresh dill. Add créme fraîche and lemon wedges on the side.

Notes

Once you've diced the onion, place it in a bowl of cold water for a few minutes and drain it. This will wash away any of the astringent taste associated with raw onion. It's a good idea to do the same to the capers.

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