Ingredients:

(Serves 6)

2 bunches of leafy carrots

50g beef dripping

100g butter

100g honey

100g Lyonnaise onions, blitzed to a puree with a blender

40g caramelised walnuts

Salt

For the Lyonnaise onions:

6 small white onions, thinly sliced

150g sliced beef fat

2tsp salt

Half tsp picked thyme leaves

For the caramelised walnuts:

400g caster sugar

400g water

200g walnut halves

Oil, for deep-frying

Maldon salt

Method:

1. First make the Lyonnaise onions. Combine the onions with the beef fat and salt in a heavy-based saucepan and place over a low heat. Add the thyme and gently stew until the onions begin to caramelise, stirring occasionally. This takes a couple of hours to do properly. When the onions are a rich golden brown colour, remove from the heat and strain off any excess fat.

2. Make the caramelised walnuts. In a heavy-based saucepan, warm the sugar and water over a low heat. Once the sugar has dissolved, drop the walnuts in. Bring to a medium simmer until the water reaches 116C on a kitchen thermometer. Meanwhile, heat some oil for deep-frying in a small saucepan to 180C. Drain the walnuts through a colander and shake off the excess sugar syrup. While the walnuts are still hot, deep-fry them in the hot oil for 15-20 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and leave to drain on kitchen paper. Season generously with Maldon salt.

3. Preheat the oven to 190C.

4. Cut the tops away from the carrots, leaving 3cm of stalk still attached. Pick the green leaves off the tops, wash and reserve. Peel and wash the rest of the carrots.

5. Coat the carrots in the beef dripping in a small roasting tray and season with salt. Roast for 15 minutes before adding the butter and honey. Mix well and roast for another 15 minutes.

6. Leave the carrots to rest while you heat the onion puree and roughly chop the walnuts.

7. To serve, get yourself a sharing dish or platter and start by spreading over the warm onion puree. Add a layer of carrots and pour over the carrot resting juices and fats. Finally, sprinkle over the carrot top leaves and the caramelised walnuts.

l The Quality Chop house: Modern Recipes And Stories From A London Classic by William Lander, Daniel Morgenthau & Shaun Searley, published by Quadrille, £30.