Just when I thought the weather had cooled down we get another batch of ugly humidity here in Sydney! I made this carrot and dill mash recently when I was experimenting for an autumn dinner party. I sometimes get tired of serving the usual side dishes to roasted meats and am always experimenting with different ideas.
Carrots are an essential and versatile kitchen ingredient and apart from using them in my roasted carrot soup with ginger and my lazy bean soup, there’s always plenty left over. Did I tell you I love looking through the refrigerator and trying to see what will work and what will be risky? In this instance I spotted some dill. I love the strong, aromatic and punchy flavour of dill and how it can transform the most simplest of dishes. It worked magically with the sweet baby carrots imparting it’s magical aroma perfectly. I accompanied the carrot and dill mash with my rack of lamb and the mash was definitely the star. I made sure each each bite of my lamb had a nice amount of the mash, for that “perfect bite”. Mmmmm…
RECIPE FOR CARROT AND DILL MASH
- A small bunch of baby carrots OR 3 large carrots chopped into chunks
- A handful of dill finely chopped (add as little or as much as you like-a little goes a long way!)
- One tablespoon of butter
- A good “splashing” of olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- Bring the carrots to a boil ensuring they are not over cooked or too mushy. (test by inserting a fork into the carrots as they are boiling-if it pierces easily they are ready)
- Drain the carrots of any excess water and place in dry pot over a medium heat. Allow the carrots to completely be drained of any liquid.
- Place the carrots in a bowl and proceed to mash with a masher or a fork- we want a rustic appearance
- Add the dill, butter, olive oil, salt and pepper and combine thoroughly.
- Serve immediately.
N.B. If you don’t like the flavour of dill you may like to try my parsnip mash with Parmesan and olive oil as a different side to a roast meal.
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{ 34 comments… read them below or add one }
I love parsnip and carrot as a mash together. Today I saw some cute stubby parsnips in the shop. Nice props in the final photo Peter.
oh i love the sound of this, probably because it appeals to my inner sweet tooth. gorgeous plate too
Pete, love the idea! Carrots deserve to be used in more creative dishes, this being a good start…mashed carrots. The dill is a nice foil to the sweetness.
That is such a refined recipe! A wonderful idea and combo!
Cheers,
Rosa
Love this mash! Sounds delicious
yes this is my comfort food for me and my two men. i try to avoid the carbs in potatoes whenever possible a and often use parsnip and carrot as a sub. you also have to try cauliflower mash yum!!
Amazing, and interesting pairing of carrots and dill. I like dill, so I don’t mind at all.
Hopefully the weather will be better in Sydney when I come up next week. I have had enough of all the bad weather in Melbourne lately.
Perfecto, chico! Maybe you could have tried with a carrot’s ice cream to fight the heat ;D. Why not? I like the idea and the colour
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Humit weather is the worst for me, but there’s nothing I wish more now than summer days.
Carrots are versatile and they are essential Peter. This mash sounds delicious and as always beautifully photographed.
I have a huge bag of organic carrots in the fridge and just last week I roasted some but they were just average … this mash however is right up my alley! Love the simple flavors and the mash goes so well with flavorful roasted meats.
I love carrots! I mash them with parsnips all the time. Sometimes I cook them in milk or chicken broth for more flavor. I also live them with a little toasted cumin or caraway seed, but this dill is just luuuurvely.
Love that you just come up with recipes! The carrot and dill mash looks and sounds delicious!
Can I just tell you? I used to hate carrots as a child but a few years ago I re-discovered carrots and I think the difference is really in how it is prepared – in a mash it is just absolutely terrific. What a fantastic idea to add the dill! I’m also salivating over the rack of lamb picture – I can imagine it would have been a perfect meal for your dinner party! And that first picture of the bunch of carrots – beautiful!
I love a good carrot mash… I remember the first time I ate one I thought it was a not-so-sweet sweet potato. Touche on that staging too that plate is superb!
I can so see this working really well together; the dill and the carrots, although I have never tried those together but it sounds fabulous. Beautiful shots Peter!
What a brilliant idea to put carrot and dill together. I love both of these ingredients, never have eaten them together though.
Mmmm.. looks great! I don’t know why I never thought of having carrot mash.. Will keep that in mind when I need something on the side for meat dishes; not only carrots but other root veggies. Thanks!
Your photos are always stunning Peter!
Oh this sounds great, and much healthier than your regular potato mash varieties
Hi Peter, that first photo of the carrots had me mesmerized. I generally prefer carrots raw (dunked in hummus is my favorite snack) or as sweetner in a braised dish but your carrot-dill mash looks appealing.
I have to admit that I am not the world’s biggest fan of cooked carrots, though I eat them in soups and stews. I think it’s mainly a texture issue and that a lot of times people overcook them when they are a side but these look really perfectly cooked and the fact that they are mashed would definitely help with any texture issues I have. Looks delicious!
Simple and beautiful. I love dill. I think this would even make a great dip
This is Yummy…
That sounds like such a tasty side dish! I never thought to mash carrots!
This is so timely. I just bought a huge I mean giant bunch of dill at the market. I have no idea how to use it all up. I kept thinking carrots all week long. And, here you are, already getting ready for autumn, as we prepare for summer.
I’ve cooked mashed carrots before and they are great. Although I use dill, I am not a huge fan of this herb but it sounds like an interesting combination to try.
My boyfriend bought a bunch of carrots from the local farmer’s market a couple of days ago. About 1 kilo too many I have to say. I’ve been searching for a recipe to use them in. I was looking for a soup but this is a happy coincidence! A carrot mash and with dill no less. Another favorite ingredient. Great!
Magda
Beautifully captured! I’d love try this one of these colder days
Carrots and dill area really nice combo and I like the sound of mashing carrots!
made this last night and it was wonderful – thanks for the inspiration!
Your mash sounds easy and delicious, Peter!
hehe a good splash of olive oil and some butter fixes most things! This is a delicious alternative to mash potato, pumpkin or sweet potato
Our attempt at this recipe didn’t go picture perfect. Perhaps the carrots hadn’t been cooked long enough (or we didn’t splash enough:), the mixture remained chunky and dry. That said, after seasoning it with dill, salt and pepper, it tasted quite nicely and made nice little side dish. We used a kilo of carrots, and I used the leftovers to make carrot soup that I’ve been eating as my morning snack for a few days now. Thanks for the recipe!
Peter, that photo of the plate is making me seriously hungry, I also love the blue textured plate and orange carrot on top, that colour combo is fantastic! Lovely ambiance to this shoot.
Yesterday I ate a rack of lamb with carrot and dill mash and it was delicious. Thanks for the recipe!