Growing up in Uruguay – learning the art of cooking from his grandmother, working in various locations around the world including Buenos Aires and São Paulo, opening cafes and working at top restaurants, we think it’s safe to say that Ignacio Mattos has a huge pot of experience and global influence under his belt.
One flight up, in a bustling bistro in one of New York’s busiest downtown streets, you’ll find Ignacio serving some of the best, brightest, boldest and surprisingly playful food in town. All about making the ordinary extra-ordinary and transforming simple dishes into something exciting and creative.
We have the huge pleasure of introducing Matto’s brand new cookbook ‘Estela’. Released today and simply waiting to be devoured. Filled to the brim with creative, easy to follow recipes – guaranteed to impress.
Extracted from Estela by Ignacio Mattos (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2018. Photographs by Marcus Nillson.
Pickled Carrots
‘Pickling the vegetable vastly improves the classic snack of carrot sticks. We serve these with a dollop of crème fraîche and some spices, but the real reward comes from dipping a stick into the Egg Salad, getting as much on the tip of it as you possibly can.’
– Extracted from Estela by Ignacio Mattos (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2018.
Makes about 3 quarts
INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds (900 g) slender, sweet carrots, peeled, cut in half, and each half sliced into 3 spears
FOR THE BRINE:
5 cups (1.25 l) white vinegar
2½ cups (600 ml) water
1¼ cups (250 g) sugar
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ cinnamon stick
FOR THE PICKLE SPICE (SERVES 2 OR 3):
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1½ teaspoons fennel seeds
Pinch of chilli flakes
½ teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon gray salt
Pinch of citric acid
Crème fraîche (about 2 tablespoons per serving)
METHOD
Put the carrots in a large heatproof bowl or other container.
MAKE THE BRINE:
Combine the vinegar, water, and sugar in a large saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the bay leaf, cumin seeds, turmeric, and cinnamon stick, remove from the heat, and pour over the carrots. Let stand for an hour, or until the brine has cooled to room temperature.
Transfer the carrots, with the brine, to airtight containers and refrigerate. They should be completely submerged in brine.
MAKE THE PICKLE SPICE:
Toast the coriander seeds, fennel seeds, and chile flakes separately in a small skillet over medium heat for about 1 minute each, just until fragrant. Then grind them all together in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle until you have an uneven mix: You shouldn’t have a powder, but there shouldn’t be whole spices either. Let cool.
Transfer the spices to a small bowl and mix in the brown sugar, salt, and citric acid.
To serve, pile a handful of carrot spears onto a plate with a dollop of crème fraîche and a big pinch of pickling spice alongside. If you’re serving a lot of people, use two or more plates to make eating easier and the presentation more elegant.
– Extracted from Estela by Ignacio Mattos (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2018.
FIND IT: Here
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Image & Text Credits: Excerpted from Estela by Ignacio Mattos (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2018. Photographs by Marcus Nillson.
