Steamed carrots with cumin and walnut oil is an easy-to-make side dish with a twist.
To toast the seeds, heat a small fry pan over low heat. Add the seeds and cook until fragrant. Once done, remove them from the pan and set aside.
Set up a steamer. Fill with one inch of water and place over medium-high heat. Refer to the lessons on Steaming for more information, if necessary.
First wash and peel the carrots. To practice your knife skills, cut the carrots into batonnet (approximately 1/4" -inch x 1/4" -inch x 2" -inches). Save any large scraps for making stock.
Place the carrots into a steamer basket and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Place over the simmering water. Cover with a lid and let steam, about 5 minutes or until just cooked through.
While the carrots are steaming, gather the lemon and oil. Roughly chop the parsley.
Once the carrots have finished cooking, transfer them to a large bowl. Squeeze the lemon juice over top and drizzle with the oil. Gently toss to coat. Add the cumin seeds and sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper to taste. Add the parsley and toss again. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve.
Batonnet is a small, stick-like knife cut which measures 1/4″ × 1/4″ × 2″ -inches.