Fancy up your roasts
Take your roast dinner to the next level by going a bit flash with the vegetables.
Brussels sprout & radicchio salad
Raw brussels sprouts offer a crisp take on this much-maligned vegetable. Together with the radicchio, it makes a slightly bitter salad, which works beautifully when served with a rich meat such as roast lamb.
11⁄2 cups brussels sprouts
1 head of radicchio
Small bunch fresh soft herbs, such
as basil, parsley, mint, tarragon 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp maple syrup
1⁄4 cup extra virgin olive oil Generous pinch flaky sea
Salt and cracked black pepper
1⁄2 cup fresh walnuts, lightly toasted
and chopped
Remove the outer leaves of the sprouts, keeping them whole, and place in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Using a mandolin or sharp knife, very thinly slice the remaining sprouts and add to the bowl with the leaves. Roughly chop herbs and thinly slice radicchio. Add both to the bowl and gently combine.
For the dressing, whisk together vinegar, mustard, maple syrup, olive oil, salt and pepper, whisking well until emulsified. Taste and adjust as necessary.
When ready to serve, pour the dressing over the salad and add the walnuts. Gently toss to combine and serve immediately.
Serves 6 as a side
Roast kumara halves with crispy bacon & horopito mayo
This is a scrumptious way to enjoy roast kumara – in fact, it would even make a delicious lunch on its own. Horopito, also known as bush pepper, is a native herb with a lovely peppery flavour. Specialist food stores stock it, or buy online from rhayne.co.nz.
Generous drizzle of cooking oil
(coconut oil is good with kumara) 3 large kumara, scrubbed and cut
in half lengthways
Flaky sea salt
1⁄2 cup good-quality mayonnaise
1⁄2 cup natural yoghurt
1 tbsp dried horopito
1 tbsp lemon juice
250g streaky bacon (or pancetta) Small bunch fresh chives, finely
chopped, for garnish
Heat oven to 190C. Place cooking oil in an oven tray and heat gently for a few minutes. Add kumara, cut side up. Drizzle over a little extra oil and add a sprinkle of sea salt. Roast for about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and flip kumara over, cut side down. Return to oven and increase the heat slightly. This will allow the cut side of the kumara to go slightly crisp and golden. Cook for another 20-30 minutes.
While kumara is cooking, make the horopito mayo and prepare the bacon.
For the mayo, whisk together the mayonnaise and yoghurt with a fork. Add horopito, lemon juice and a small pinch of sea salt and whisk well to combine. Taste and adjust as necessary.
Chop bacon into small pieces and fry until crispy. Set aside.
To serve, place kumara halves on a serving dish, cut side up. Place a dollop of horopito mayo on each one, sprinkle with crispy bacon bits and garnish with a generous pinch of sea salt and chives. Serves 6
Cauliflower mustard puree with crispy sage leaves
This delicious creamy mash is likely to become a favourite way to enjoy cauliflower.
It might also save you from making gravy with your roast, since it’s almost sauce-like. The crispy sage leaves add little bursts of texture and flavour. 1 head cauliflower, chopped into
florets and pieces
1 cup whole milk, (or half milk, half
cream)
1 tbsp butter
1 generous pinch flaky sea salt 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp neutral-tasting cooking oil,
for frying (or use butter)
1 small bunch sage, leaves removed
(about 1⁄3 cup of leaves) Good-quality olive oil for drizzling
Place cauliflower, milk, butter, and salt in a saucepan. Cover and cook on a medium-low heat for about 25-30 minutes, until very tender.
Carefully place cauliflower and liquid into a blender. Add mustard and a little extra salt and pepper. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more mustard if you like. Keep warm until ready to serve.
For the sage leaves, heat oil or butter in a frying pan. Add sage leaves and cook until just crisp – they’ll change colour. You may need to do this in batches. Carefully set aside and when ready to serve the puree, sprinkle over the sage leaves and a drizzle of good quality olive oil.
Serves 6 as a side dish