Must-Try: Splendido’s slow-roasted carrots prove that veggies have star power, too

Magical things happen when chefs treat vegetables with proper respect. At Splendido, Victor Barry elevates humble carrots by meticulously coaxing out their flavours. He cooks the root veggies stove-top with butter, thyme and bay leaves, then gently roasts them for five long hours, applying a sticky mixture of honey, ginger and coriander every 10 minutes on the dot. Once wickedly caramelized, the carrots are sprinkled with crunchy pumpkin-seed granola and served with dabs of carrot-ginger purée, clouds of foamy carrot “air” and smoked crème fraîche seasoned with earthy pumpkin oil and tart ginger juice. The veggies are meaty and sweet on the outside with miraculously resistance-free interiors—a delicious reminder that meat doesn’t always have to be the star of the show.

Splendido, 88 Harbord St., 416-929-7788