Harissa Carrots – Inspired by Nigel Slater

I've been making harissa carrots for years — long enough that I can no longer be sure where Nigel Slater ends and I begin. The idea came from his book EAT, one of those slim, unshowy collections that delivers more than it promises. His version is a simple thing. Mine has drifted, as these things do.

The base is the same: young carrots, blanched whole until tender. What goes on them is where I've made it my own — a dressing built around mashed garlic, an egg yolk, olive oil, a splash of white wine vinegar, a teaspoon of Dijon, and a proper spoonful of homemade harissa. Bold, slightly sharp, with that slow harissa heat underneath.

It's the kind of side dish that earns its place alongside almost anything off the grill. Or just eaten standing up at the kitchen counter, which is what usually happens here at Casa Adora.

How to Make Harissa Carrots

Serves 1–2 as a side
Prep 10 minutes | Cook 8–10 minutes

Ingredients

• 300g young carrots, scrubbed and left whole
• 1 small clove garlic, peeled
• 1 egg yolk
• 3 tbsp good olive oil
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 heaped tsp harissa (homemade if you have it)
• Sea salt and black pepper

Method

1. Blanch the carrots
Bring a pan of well-salted water to the boil. Add the carrots whole and cook for 8–10 minutes until just tender — you want a little give but not collapse. Drain and leave for a minute.

2. Make the dressing
While the carrots are still warm, crush the garlic with a pinch of salt to a smooth paste. In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic paste, egg yolk, olive oil, vinegar, Dijon and harissa. Taste — it should be punchy. Adjust the harissa and vinegar to your liking.

3. Dress and serve
Arrange the carrots on a plate or board and spoon the dressing over while they're warm. That's it. No garnish required, though a few flat-leaf parsley leaves wouldn't hurt.

Chef's Notes

On the carrots: Young carrots work best here — the flavour is sweeter and they hold their shape. Larger carrots can be halved lengthways.

On the harissa: The dressing lives or dies by the harissa. A good homemade batch makes a real difference — but a decent shop-bought will do.

On the egg yolk: This is what gives the dressing its body. Don't skip it.

On serving: Works alongside grilled lamb, chicken off the bone, or just with good bread and nothing else.

FOOTNOTE

These harissa carrots are part of my Veg, Fruit & Pulses hub – a growing collection of vegetable, fruit and pulse recipes from Casa Adora and the road. They also appear in my Veggie & Vegan Recipes hub and my North African Recipes hub.
All recipe hubs → Recipe Hubs
Wonky photos, proper produce, genuine adventures – The Flexible Chef