- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 500ml boiling water
- Large pan with lid
- Measuring jug
- 1.
Fill and boil your kettle. Trim and peel the carrots, then thickly slice them. Put a large pan on a medium heat and add 2 tbsp olive oil. Add the carrots and season them with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Drop in the star anise. Fry the carrots, stirring often, for 6-8 mins till they’re fragrant, lightly browned and starting to soften.
- 2.
Pour 250ml of the milk (keep the rest for the Yorkshire Puddings) into the pan and top it up with 500ml hot water from the kettle. The carrots should be almost submerged, but not quite. Pop a lid on the pan and bring to the boil, then turn the heat down a little and simmer for 20 mins till the carrots are very tender.
- 3.
Take the pan off the heat. Scoop the star anise out of the pan and add 50g of the butter (keep the rest for the other recipes). Mash till as smooth as you like. Taste and add a pinch more salt or pepper if you think it needs it. Scoop into a warm bowl and serve.
- Tip
Low Waste, No Waste
Don't bin your butter wrapper - fold it up and keep it in the fridge. When you're next frying onions for a soup or stew, lay the wrapper on top of them, buttery side down. This makes an instant cartouche, which reduces evaporation and helps the onions to sweat and soften. Keep the heat to medium-low and fry for 10 mins. When the onions are soft, lift off the butter wrapper and discard it. - Tip
Love Your Leftovers
Leftover carrot mash will keep in th fridge for up to 3 days in a sealed tub. It makes a great instant topping for pies, such as fish pie or a turkey and mushroom pie. Simple make your filling, then spoon the mash over the top and grill. If you don't have quite enough carrot mash, you could combine it with mashed potatoes.