Carrot-and-Mustard Rillettes | Everyday Dorie

Rillette is “a preservation method similar to confit where meat is seasoned then slow cooked submerged in fat for several hours” — some say forever, according to Wikipedia. Is it a cooking technique or a serving style in applying cured rustic meat shreds on toasted bread?

However, meat is not showing up in Dorie’s carrot-and mustard rillettes. She does admit rillettes is a total misnomer. And further clarifies that’s what these morsels of chunky carrot are called at The Modern at the Museum of Modern Art. Well, I just have to take a leap of fate in the manner Dorie and Modern (both I think highly of) characterize the dish.

For the carrot rillettes, first steam the carrots, cut into small cubes, until tender. They should retain some of their crunch and a bit firmer than the Comté, the companion ingredient in the rillettes. Next add the spices (ground cumin and crushed caraway seeds) to the carrots and season with salt and pepper. Let them stand for 30 minutes for the flavor to meld. Then mix in small cubes of Comté, smooth Dijon mustard and whole-grain mustard. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil.

For the easy all-mustard spread, combine the toasted mustard seeds with mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, smooth Dijon mustard, whole-grain mustard, salt and pepper.

I spread the carrot-and-mustard rillettes on slices of sourdough bread. Dorie suggests the rillettes can be an hors d’oeuvre or serve with a salad. Besides, I can see the carrots as one of the many fixings on top of a grain bowl, similar to the farro salad with radicchio and root vegetables. In fact, it’s much easier to eat in a bowl than on a slice of toasted bread.

Carrot rillettes and spread ingredients

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Everyday Dorie by Dorie Greenspan