Ludo Lefebvre’s Roasted-Carrot Salad

At Petit Trois, the tiny restaurant in Los Angeles where the chef Ludo Lefebvre serves bistro classics to the film industry and food-obsessed, this salad serves as an appetizer. But it works just as well spread across a platter as a light dinner or lunch, and pairs well with a fresh baguette and a glass of chilled red wine. Toasting the cumin for the carrots and the crème fraîche is very important, but don’t worry if you can’t find all the herbs for the garnish. Just one or two will bring pleasure.

Ingredients

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 11/2 pounds small carrots, approximately5 inches in length, scrubbed clean andtops trimmed
• 1 bay leaf (fresh, scored)
• 1 head garlic, cut in half
• 5 to 7 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground blackpepper to taste
• 2 blood oranges, juiced
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup crème fraîche
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• Pinch kosher salt
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon roughly chopped roastedalmonds
• 2 blood oranges, cut into supremes
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped tarragon
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped chervil
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
• Kosher salt or fleur de sel

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400. Toast the cumin
2. for both the carrots and the crème fraîche
3. in a small pan set over medium heat until
4. it becomes aromatic. Remove from heat,
5. and set aside.
6. Place carrots, bay leaf, split head of garlic,
7. thyme and olive oil into a bowl, and mix them
8. together. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon cumin over the
9. carrots, and mix again.
10. Tip the carrot mixture onto a sheet pan,
11. and spread evenly into one layer, then season
12. with salt and pepper and place in oven. Roast
13. until the carrots are soft and beginning to
14. caramelize, 30 to 45 minutes.
15. Remove carrots from oven, discard
16. aromatics and set aside to cool.
17. Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette. Combine
18. blood-orange juice, vinegar, sugar and salt in
19. a large mixing bowl, and whisk to incorporate.
20. Slowly add the olive oil while continuing to
21. whisk, until the dressing is emulsified. Add the
22. carrots to the bowl, and toss to combine.
23. Make the cumin crème fraîche. Combine
24. the crème fraîche, lemon juice and remaining
25. toasted cumin in a mixing bowl, and stir to
26. combine. Thin the mixture slightly with a few
27. tablespoons of water. Add a pinch of salt.
28. Assemble the salad on a large serving
29. plate. Put the crème fraîche in the center of
30. the plate, and using the back of a spoon,
31. spread it evenly across the bottom. Arrange
32. the carrots on top of the crème fraîche.
33. Sprinkle the onion and the nuts on top of
34. the carrots, then add the supremes of blood
35. orange. Sprinkle the herbs across the top
36. of the salad, and finish with a pinch or two
37. of salt. Make a mess when serving, so that
38. everyone gets plenty of crème fraîche along
39. with the vegetables.