WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS We all know that brining can transform lean, easy to-overcook cuts of meat and poultry into juicy, well-seasoned showstoppers. Now it’s time to brine your vegetables. Seriously. We love
grilling whole carrots, but let’s face it: They are tricky to season evenly. Dusting raw carrots with salt is like throwing a tennis ball at a wall—it just bounces right off. But 45 minutes in a salty bath changes the game,
infusing the carrots evenly. Whereas we brine meat to increase tenderness and season, our goal here was primarily seasoning (though the carrots did soften slightly in the brine). We grilled them quickly over a hot fire to develop char and smoky flavor without sacrificing crunch. Drizzled with a piquant cilantro-yogurt sauce and sprinkled with peanuts and fresh herbs, these carrots might just become your new favorite side dish during grilling season. Young carrots are immature carrots, harvested early in their growing cycle. Look for carrots that are 3 to 5 inches long and ½ to 1 inch in diameter. Peeled carrots will absorb salt more rapidly, so we don’t recommend peeling them for this recipe. If you can’t find carrots with their tops attached or the greens aren’t in good shape, use thin carrots and 2 cups cilantro.

Serves 4

Total time: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS

• 1½ pounds young carrots with greens attached, carrots unpeeled, greens chopped (1¼ cups)
• Salt
• 1¼ cups coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves and stems
• ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
• ¼ cup dry-roasted peanuts, chopped
• 1 jalapeño chile, stemmed, seeds reserved, and minced
• 1 ice cube
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ¼ teaspoon ground coriander

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Rinse and scrub carrots to remove any dirt. Whisk 1 quart water and ¼ cup salt in large bowl until salt is dissolved. Submerge carrots in brine and let sit at room temperature for at least 45 minutes or up to 1 hour. Transfer carrots to paper towel–lined plate and pat dry. Discard brine.
2. Meanwhile, process 1 cup cilantro, 1 cup carrot greens, yogurt, 3 tablespoons peanuts, jalapeño, ice cube, ginger, garlic, and coriander in blender on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes, scraping down sides of blender jar halfway through processing. Season with salt to taste. Transfer yogurt sauce to small bowl, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve. 3a. For a charcoal grill Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over half of grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes. 3b. For a gas grill Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave all burners on high.
3. Clean and oil cooking grate. Place carrots on grill (directly over coals if using charcoal) and cook, turning occasionally, until carrots are well charred on all sides and exteriors are just beginning to soften, 3 to 5 minutes for very small carrots or 5 to 7 minutes for larger ones.
4. Transfer grilled carrots to serving platter. Drizzle yogurt sauce over carrots, then sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup cilantro, remaining ¼ cup carrot greens, and remaining 1 tablespoon peanuts.
5. Serve immediately.