Earthy, sweet maple syrup is definitely my ingredient of the month, or maybe even the year. But it must be the real, natural stuff. This rich, golden goodness is the perfect match for the humble carrot. You might be surprised at this, but after eating a spoonful of ultra-smooth carrot purée made with maple syrup at Jardine in Cape Town while enjoying their fabulous winter special, I couldn’t wait to get into the kitchen to try to recreate it. It had to taste a bit like carrot crème brûlée – sweet, caramel, salty and buttery.

Onto an oven tray went some peeled carrots, ground cinnamon, butter, olive oil and a generous glug of gorgeous maple syrup. Once the carrots had roasted to a soft, sticky, golden brown, I blended them with a bit of cream until they were gloriously smooth. I’m sure chefEric of Jardineput his through a fine sieve many times, but mine was just fine for the pork bangers that went with it.

As I’m writing, I’m thinking how good a sarmie made with chef Neil Jewell’s (of Bread & Wine) grilled home-made bacon would be, drizzled with maple syrup and stuffed between slices of fresh homemade farmhouse bread. Delish!

Happy eating!
Abigail