‘Confit’ is a French word meaning to preserve. It usually involves duck, goose or pork and uses some form of fat, cooked long and languidly at low temperature. The fat medium allows the collagen to break down into a gelatinous form without drying the more delicate meat. In the case of the carrot, none of this applies. The long, slow cooking allows the moisture to evaporate, concentrating the flavour compounds and sugars. For most of the cooking, the carrot maintains the horror of boiled carrots past, but persevere and the delicate floral and apricot notes begin to assert themselves and transform this humble vegetable. Serve these as a decadent side dish with fish or meat, on their own, or with home-made vanilla ice cream. There are no rules.