To cook the carrots, bring approximately 8 cups of water to a boil and then add about a teaspoon of salt and then taste for seasoning. The water should taste a bit salty as this is going to ultimately season the carrots as they cook. Next, add the whole carrots and let them cook until they are just barely tender. The time it takes to cook the carrots will ultimately depend on how big the carrots were to start with.

Be sure you do not overcook the carrots — keep in mind that they will continue to cook even after they come out of the water from the residual heat. To stop the cooking process, drain the carrots, and cover them with cold water to let them cool.

Next, mash the garlic and spices in a mortar and pestle until you reach a paste-like consistency. Alternatively, you can smash the garlic and then mix that with the spices. If you really like spicy, use hot paprika, if not, use sweet or a combination of the two.

Once the carrots have cooled, cut them into somewhat thick rounds and place them into a container. Add the garlic/spice paste to the carrots and stir to coat the carrots with the paste. Next, add equal parts of vinegar and water until the carrots are covered with liquid.

Cover the container and allow the carrots to marinate for a minimum of 4 hours, or better yet, overnight, in the refrigerator.

To serve the carrots, spoon them out of the liquid using a slotted spoon and top with a bit of extra-virgin olive oil (preferably Spanish) and finish with a bit of flaky sea salt, such as Maldon. For oil-free, simply omit the oil.

These carrots will keep for several days in the refrigerator.