Interesting New Ways To Roast Veg This Summer
Richard H Turner, Gridiron
We’re in the midst of asparagus season, so right now asparagus lightly brushed in olive oil and grilled over charcoal is the holy grail. Soon we’ll be gifted with peas and broad beans in the pod – when peas are roasted whole they are incredibly sweet and delicious. If you want to get the very best flavour out of veg, the key is to season aggressively and cook simply. End of. Asian condiments work best with roasted veg, of course, but I’m also a big fan of a bloody good Caesar dressing.
Roasted Leek With Alliard
INGREDIENTS
1 large leek
1 lemon
50g butter
Pinch of Maldon sea salt
For the alliard:
50g hazelnuts
25g of parmesan or pecorino, finely grated
50ml of pommis or extra virgin olive oil
10ml of sherry vinegar
Pinch of salt
METHOD
1. To make the alliard, toast 50g hazelnuts at 180 ̊C for four minutes, then leave to one side to cool. Take 40g of the toasted hazelnuts and crush on a chopping board or pestle and mortar, add the olive oil, sherry vinegar, cheese and salt and mix well. Set to one side.
2. At the restaurant we cook the leek on the direct embers of wooden charcoal. If you wish to create this at home you can place the leek on the gas burner to achieve the charred effect (or use a blow torch if you have no gas burner). Finish in the oven for 2-3 minutes at 180 ̊C.
3. Meanwhile, make the brown butter. Cook the butter over a gentle heat until it splits and the solids of the butter cook in its own fat.
4. Take the charred leek, split it with a sharp knife down the first two layers of the leek, keeping the heart intact. Slice the heart in 1cm pieces and brush or drizzle with the brown butter. Squeeze lemon on top and season lightly with the Maldon salt (you can use smoked Maldon for a smokier effect).
5. Spoon the alliard mix across the leek and finish by sprinkling the remainder of the dried toasted hazelnuts.
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Bill Granger, Granger & Co
Fresh greens are great at this time of year, particularly asparagus – get hold of it quick before it goes out of season. When it comes to good-quality fresh vegetables I like to keep things simple – a bit of salt, black pepper, olive olive and a squeeze of lemon.
Roasted Tenderstem Broccoli With Almond Sauce, Roast Yellow Pepper & Sumac Salsa
INGREDIENTS
120g tender stem broccoli
1 tbsp marcona almonds, crushed
For the yellow pepper and sumac salsa
1 yellow pepper
10g parsley, leaves picked and finely sliced 1 tsp sumac
1⁄2 lemon
30ml olive oil
For the almond sauce
50g marcona almonds
50g peeled cucumber, roughly chopped
35ml olive oil
15ml sherry vinegar
1 clove of garlic, crushed
METHOD
1. Place the marcona almonds, cucumber, olive oil, sherry vinegar and garlic into a deep jug and blitz with a hand blender until smooth and glossy. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. Scorch the pepper on an open flame, or under a hot grill, until blackened on all sides. Transfer to a bowl, seal the bowl with clingfilm and leave to cool. When the pepper is cool enough to handle, peel off the skin. Remove the pips and chop the flesh into small cubes (roughly 1⁄2 cm). Transfer to a bowl.
3. Combine the parsley leaves with the chopped pepper. Add the sumac, olive oil and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Coat the broccoli with a little olive oil and salt and roast on a tray in the oven at 230 ̊C for 6-8 minutes until golden brown. Spoon the almond sauce onto a plate and pile the roast broccoli on top. Spoon over the salsa and garnish with crushed almonds.
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Lello Favuzzi, Mortimer House Kitchen
Chefs today are very experimental so in theory you can roast everything, but personally I don't like roasting avocados, cucumbers or radish. Smoking vegetables on the grill is my favourite way to cook them – especially aubergine. For me, the best accompaniments are good quality olive oil, basil, oregano, chilli, mint and tahini
Burnt Carrots with Greek Yoghurt & Tahini
INGREDIENTS
4 medium carrots
40g fresh thyme
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp honey
Pinch of Maldon salt
Pinch of black pepper
50g ground fennel seeds
For the dip:
100g tahini paste
60ml water
150g Greek yoghurt
METHOD
1. Pre-heat the oven to 200 ̊C. Take four unpeeled carrots and clean them under running water.
2. Take a small bowl and mix the thyme, olive oil, honey, salt and pepper. Dress the carrots and wrap separately in, but not too tightly.
3. Place the carrots on a tray and cook through (approx. 20 minutes) – the carrot must be cooked al dente as these are going to be heated before serving. Take the carrots out of the oven and let them rest.
4. While the carrots are resting, take the tahini paste and mix in with water until it become smooth (don’t worry, it will go lumpy before it goes smooth). Mix the yoghurt into the tahini dressing until entirely amalgamated. Meanwhile, in a small blender, blend the fennel seeds until ground.
5. Turn on the grill setting and increase heat to 250 ̊C. Unwrap the carrots and cut them in half, place the carrots on a tray (middle facing down) and put them under the grill until they go slightly black.
6. To serve, place the carrots on a plate. Take a generous spoon of the dip and place next to the carrots. Sprinkle the ground fennel seeds on top of the dip and sprinkle salt, pepper and olive oil over the carrots. Garnish with baby coriander or cress, if you like.
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Zaw Mahesh, Lahpet
I love to roast aubergine, okra, tomato and squash. With aubergine, depending on the type and size, it’s lovely to grill it briefly and then roast it. The best way for me is to eat it warm in a salad, with spices and other fresh vegetables. This is very popular in Myanmar where I’m from. Squash is also really easy to roast. It goes well with ginger and is well known for its natural sweetness. In Lahpet, we serve it with pickled ginger and white pepper.
Roast Aubergine Salad
INGREDIENTS
1 whole aubergine
2 shallots, sliced
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 bird’s eye chillis, finely chopped
3 tbsp fried shallot in its oil
2 tbsp paprika oil
10g coriander, chopped
½ lime juice
Salt to taste
METHOD
1. Grill the aubergine for 6 minutes on each side then roast it in the oven at 180 ̊C for one hour. Rest it until it cools down to room temperature.
2. Once cooled, cut the aubergine into large cubes without mashing it too much.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients and fold well.
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Martin Morales, Ceviche
Don’t be fooled by the humble appearance: rocoto peppers are full of fiery Andina spirit. This traditional dish comes from the region of Arequipa where the method of triple-boiling the rocotos before stuffing, and then topping them with smooth, creamy cheese, leaves you with a far more easy-going heat. Always use fresh rather than frozen rocoto, as frozen will collapse when they cook.
Stuffed Rocoto Peppers
INGREDIENTS
4 rocoto peppers or large red peppers
90ml white wine vinegar
90g granulated sugar
For the filling
1 tbsp olive oil
40g butter
500g wild mushrooms, sliced
Leaves from 4 thyme sprigs, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tsp red chilli fakes, if using red peppers rather than rocoto
250ml double cream
120g queso fresco or feta, crumbled
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (gas mark 4).
2. Carefully cut out a cap from the top of each of the rocoto or red peppers and pull out the core and seeds. Reserve the caps if you wish. Put the peppers in a large saucepan and cover with water. Add one-third of the vinegar and sugar, then bring to the boil and simmer for 3 minutes. Drain, replace the peppers in the pan and repeat the process twice until you have used up all the sugar and vinegar. Set aside the peppers.
3. To make the filling, heat the olive oil and butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the mushrooms, thyme, garlic and chilli fakes (if using), and season with salt and pepper. Sautee for 10 minutes until the mushrooms are cooked through. Pour in the double cream and allow to simmer for a couple of minutes, then remove from the heat and allow to cool.
4. When the mushroom mixture has cooled down, spoon it into the peppers, then top with equal amounts of the cheese. Put the stuffed peppers into a small baking dish or tin 2 you want a fairly snug fit to help the peppers stay upright. Replace the reserved caps on the peppers, if you wish.
5.Bake in the oven for about 2 minutes until the filling is piping hot and the cheese is melted and lightly browned. Serve immediately.
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