Carrots grow very well in Argentina, especially areas such as Mendoza and Rio Negro. They are sweet and vibrant, making them the perfect base for a refreshing dip to enjoy with a glass of wine before dinner. Almost like a hummus, our carrot and mustard dip has the freshness from the lemon, with a subtle kick from the mustard and a smoky finish. Here at Los Pots it is served with homebaked rosemary crackers, but would also work great with fresh bread or cheese.
5 carrots
3 tbs mustard
50g almonds
2 tbs olive oil
2 garlic cloves
1/2 canned chickpeas
2 lemons (squeezed)
1tsp smoked paprika
Parsley (roughly chopped to be used as a garnish)
Salt and Pepper
Toast the almonds in the oven at 180ºC/355ºF and then leave to one side.
Cut the carrots into thick chunks and place on a baking sheet with olive oil and salt and pepper, and bake in the oven until they start to soften and shrivel, but do not let them char.
Place the carrots, mustard, garlic, drained chickpeas, lemon juice, paprika, almonds and olive oil into a food processor and process until smooth. Taste the dip and season to taste, and add more olive oil if it is too thick.
Place in a small bowl with olive oil and chopped parsley leaves.
For the homemade crackers:
250g plain flour
1tsp sugar
1tsp salt
1tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
160ml water
3tbsp olive oil
Flaky salt, for topping
In a large bowl mix together the flower, sugar, salt and rosemary. Then add the water and olie oil and mix with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together and forms a ball.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for a couple of minutes, adding more flour if needed. Once the dough is not sticking to the surface, shape it into a ball and return to the bowl. Cover and leave to rest for at least 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees centigrade and line a large baking tray with parchment paper. Split the dough into two batches, and roll the first ball into a large rectangle, about 1.5mm thick. Cut the dough into small rectangles and carefully place on the baking tray. Repeat with the remaining dough. Once all on the baking tray, poke holes in the crackers with a fork and then brush with some olive oil. Sprinkle the top with some flaky salt and bake for 9-12 minutes, or until they are golden and crispy.