Phil’s favourite veg techniques

Use these techniques to cook veggies everyone will want to eat more of this summer

CONFIT

This traditional French method refers to slowly poaching meat, fish, vegetables or fruit in oil or animal fat over a low heat. It’s often used as a preservation technique but is also a great way to get a flavour-packed result from your veg stars. See the brinjal confit on page 132.

ROAST

This uses dry heat in the oven, usually to cook large cuts of meat, such as pork shoulder or beef, but the advantage of roasting veggies is that they caramelise and sweeten. Beetroot, carrots, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes … the choices are endless. Toss in olive oil, salt and pepper and let the oven do the work.

STEAM

Hot, moist heat is a gentle way of cooking fish, dumplings and veggies at high temperature, usually in a steamer basket or bamboo steamer placed over a pot of boiling water. Done correctly, veggies shouldn’t become soggy – steam broccoli before adding it to a quick stir-fry to get a tender-crisp result.