Smoky sweet root vegetables

ByEditorial Staff January 22, 2024January 22, 2024

Cook these root vegetables for a special roast dinner. A sweet butter glaze contrasts beautifully with a subtle charred flavour – perfect for Christmas Day

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Easy
Serves: 10

Ingredients

75g butter
75g caster sugar
600g baby carrots, scrubbed (about 2cm of the tops left on), any larger ones cut in half lengthways
600g baby parsnips, scrubbed, any larger ones cut in half lengthways
smoked salt
1 lemon, juiced
parsley, roughly chopped

Smoky sweet root vegetables method

Step: 1 A day before, take a deep frying pan and put the butter, sugar, and 500ml water into it. Cook until the butter is melted, then bring the liquid to a boil, and boil gently until lightly syrupy. Put in the parsnips and cook, covered, for 6-8 mins until soft then, using tongs, transfer to a roasting tin. Redo with the carrots then tip them, with the liquid, into the roasting tin with the parsnips. Let it cool, and put it in the fridge overnight.

Step: 2 When you are about to eat, take out the roots from the fridge, and lift out of the syrup. Reject the syrup. Heat a griddle or frying pan until fiery hot then, in batches, put the roots cut-side down in the pan and cook for about a minute on each side until seemingly charred. Dust over the smoked salt, lemon juice, and some parsley for serving.