Over the past year I ate Moroccan Carrots from several restaurants including a Moroccan one. I thought they were all the most delicious carrots and I can tell you two of them were the best carrots I ever tasted in my life.

I studied many different recipes for Moroccan Carrots and this is what I came up with.

Ingredients For about 12 servings

3 lbs. carrots

1/4 cup & 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (1/4 C EVOO for roasting the carrots & 2T EVOO to roast the shallots and scallions)

1/2 cup water for roasting the carrots

2 Tablespoons sugar

fresh ground sea salt

fresh ground black pepper

1 bunch parsley -I used a big bunch of curly and tried off stems – clean and rough chop

1 bunch cilantro – trimmed of the thicker ends of stems- clean and rough chop

1 bunch of scallions – clean and separate white ends and green tops – rough chop all but keep separate

4 garlic cloves – fine chop

1 jalapeno – fine chop

2 meyer lemons – fresh squeezed (you are only using the juice)

2 Tablespoons orange zest

1 shallot – chopped up

2 Tablespoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch cloves

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (for the herb sauce)

1/2 cup water (for blending herb sauce)

1/2 cup of Turkish Apricots chopped

1/2 cup roasted almonds chopped

1/4 cup of honey or date syrup for drizzling

Directions

Set your oven to 375 degrees. First step is to roast the carrots. Clean the carrots and place them on baking sheets with a drizzle of olive oil and a a couple tablespoons of water. Sprinkle the carrots lightly with sugar and cover with foil. Roast the carrots on your middle rack. Roast till fork tender. (about an hour) After fork tender remove the foil cover and bring the carrots up to the top rack and let roast till they look browned and caramelized. (15-20 minutes). Apply fresh ground salt and pepper to the carrots and keep warm.

Roast up your shallots and chopped whites of scallions. Set them on a baking sheet and sprinkle with olive oil. Set on top rack of your oven till browned. (about 20-25 minutes). Set aside.

Blend up all the remaining ingredients  (except the carrot toppings of apricots, almonds and honey/date syrup) with your just roasted shallots and roasted green onions.

Pour the herb sauce over the carrots and top with the apricots, almonds and honey (or date syrup)