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Grilled Carrots

Chef Jesus Cervantes of Damian | Los Angeles, CA
Adapted by StarChefs

Mole felt like a natural choice as the foundation of the dish as nuts tend to play an integral part in most mole recipes. The California almonds bring a clean, round richness and a softness that gives the mole structure without feeling heavy. They allow the toasted chiles, warm spices, and subtle bitterness to come through clearly, creating a sauce that feels familiar, but lighter and more precise. The mole is paired with simply grilled carrots, a vegetable I love, but honestly haven’t featured too often at Damian. They bring sweetness, texture, and a bit of char to balance the sauce. Keeping the vegetables straightforward allows the more complex flavors of the mole, and especially the California almonds, shine.
Almonds
Ingredients
California Almond Mole
  • 150 grams wedged white onions
  • 120 grams whole Roma tomatoes
  • 15 grams garlic cloves
  • 5 grams dried pasilla chiles
  • 5 grams dried guajillo chiles
  • 1 gram dried árbol chiles
  • 30 grams day-old bread
  • 10 grams sesame seeds
  • 360 grams vegetable stock
  • 140 grams toasted California almonds
  • 20 grams Sherry vinegar
  • 10 grams piloncillo
  • Kosher salt
Grilled Carrots
  • 800 grams heirloom carrots, trimmed
  • 30 grams avocado oil
  • 10 grams kosher salt
  • 5 grams smoked paprika
  • 3 grams cracked black peppercorns
  • 15 grams orange juice
To Assemble & Serve
  • Lime zest
  • Micro cilantro
  • Toasted California almonds
  • Smoked salt
  • Olive oil
Preparation
For the California Almond Mole
  1. In a sauté pan over high heat, add onions, tomatoes, and garlic. Cook until charred on all sides. Remove from heat and set aside. In a separate sauté pan over medium heat, toast chiles. Transfer chiles to a hot water bath and let soak 10 minutes at room temperature. In a separate sauté pan, toast bread and sesame seeds until lightly browned. Transfer to a blender with vegetable stock, California almonds, charred garlic, onions, and tomatoes, and rehydrated chiles. Purée until smooth. Season with vinegar, piloncillo, and salt. Pass through a chinois. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.
For the Grilled Carrots
  1. Prepare and heat a grill to maximum heat. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add carrots and blanch 3 minutes. Transfer carrots to an ice bath. Once cooled, pat dry and place on a clean work surface. Season blanched carrots with oil, salt, paprika, and peppercorns. Grill 5 minutes, or until carrots are evenly charred. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add orange juice and toss to coat. Set aside.
To Assemble & Serve
  1. In a saucepan over low heat, warm California Almond Mole. Spoon warmed California Almond Mole into the center of a serving plate. Top with Grilled Carrots. Garnish with lime zest, cilantro, and toasted California almonds. Season with smoked salt. Finish with a drizzle olive oil.
Did you know?

In addition to almonds being a delicious ingredient in our recipes they’re also heart healthy, gut healthy, and full of vitamins and nutrients - explore Health & Nutrition to learn more. Not only that, almond farmers are dedicated to sustainability - find out how they’re Growing Good.