Method

• 1.
  Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan-forced. Trim the carrot tops, leaving a little smidge of green stalk intact – let’s say about 2.5cm.
• 2.
  Using a fresh new scourer or pot scrubber, scrub the carrots under running water to remove the fine skin, paying special attention to the top part so you get rid of any dirt. Dry carrots in a clean kitchen towel. Next, place carrots in a single layer in a roasting dish, drizzle with oil and honey, then season with salt flakes. Roast for 25-30 minutes or until carrots are a nice golden colour and you can easily pierce them with a knife. Set aside to cool slightly.
• 3.
  While carrots are roasting, combine the buttermilk and sour cream in a small bowl and season with salt flakes. Refrigerate until you’re ready to serve.
• 4.
  For the pomegranate, you can cut it down the middle and then bang the bottom of each half, but I don’t like to do that as you tend to pop all the seeds (or arils) and get in a bit of a mess. Instead, cut the top off. You’ll see there’s white flesh dividing the arils into segments. Score down the outside of the pomegranate in line with that white pith, then carefully pull the fruit apart with your hands. Once segmented, you’ll be able to gently pull clusters of the seeds out easily.
• 5.
  To serve, spread the buttermilk dressing over the base of a serving bowl or plate. Pile warm carrots on top, scatter with the pomegranate seeds and then the chives. Drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil and season with salt flakes, if you like.