I'm by no means a vegetarian, I love nothing more than the perfect rare steak cooked over hot coals, BUT I eat a lot of vegetables. I generally try to eat 3-4 vegetable based dinners a week. This doesn't mean they are boring though.
A lot has changed since your grandmother served you carrots & greens that had been steamed until they are no longer identifiable. This is mainly thanks to the likes of Yotam Ottolenghi who has driven a change in thought processes when approaching vegetables. I think this mindset can be summed up in one rule; 'give vegetables the same respect as you would a good piece of meat'. This refers to a number of things in the cooking process; pre-cooking treatment (marinade/brining/curing), cooking methods (pan fry, whole roasting, barbecuing), and cooking time (maintain integrity of ingredient by serving medium rare).
The secrets to flavour packed vegetable dishes? Punchy flavours from herbs & spices, substance from nuts & seeds, and most importantly, umami. Always umami.
RECIPE BY: Sam Goodwin
SERVES: 4 as a side dish, 2 as a main
PREPARATION: 10 minutes
COOKING: 25 minutes
INGREDIENTS
- 2 bunches heirloom carrots, various colours (use Dutch carrots as substitute if desired), washed & green ends trimmed
- 1/2 cup worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp. Cobram Estate 'Light' extra virgin olive oil
CHIMICHURRI
- 1/4 bunch Parsley, finely chopped
- 1/4 bunch Coriander, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 no. long Green chilli, finely chopped
- 1/4 lemon, zest of
- 2 tbsp Red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup Cobram Estate 'Robust' extra virgin olive oil
- Salt flakes, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
TO SERVE
- 1/2 cup roasted almonds, roughly chopped
- 100 gr Goat's cheese, or feta
HOW
- OPTIONAL - To marinade carrots, combine Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, chicken stock & brown sugar in bowl or dish. Add carrot & allow to sit and marinate for a minimum of 2 hours, preferably overnight. This step is optional.
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
- To roast carrots, remove from marinade, allowing excess to drip off. Heat a large oven-proof frying pan (preferably cast iron) over high with 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil. Add carrots, and a sprinkle of salt flakes. Toss & turn in pan for 5 minutes, or until beginning to develop golden brown colour on skins.
- Place frying pan in pre-heated oven & roast for further 15-20 minutes or until carrots are 'medium rare'.
- Meanwhile, to make chimichurri, place all ingredients except olive oil into medium mixing bowl. Add olive oil gradually whilst mixing continuously. Season to taste. Set aside.
- To serve, scatter carrots over serving board (for the larger carrots in the bunch I like to cut them lengthways). Drizzle/spoon over chimichurri. Garnish with roughly chopped almonds, and crumbled goats cheese.
TIPS
- Goat's cheese can be replaced with finely grated parmesan for a similar umami hit.
- If you can't bring yourself to eat a vegetarian dish. This would pair perfectly with some slow-cook lamb, or a piece of steak hot off the BBQ.