Wed, 13 December 2023
Often overlooked and not much thought put into the vegetables on Christmas day, here’s three simple recipes to show them some love:
Miso Parsnips
Ingredients
4 tbsp Irish Rapeseed oil
4-5 parsnips, peeled and quartered length ways (keep the peel for crisps)
60g white miso
1 tbsp maple syrup
Method:
Heat the oven to 180C. Drizzle the oil into a deep roasting tin and put in the oven to heat up. Bring a pot of salted water to the boil and boil the parsnips for 4-5 mins until starting to become tender. Drain well. Put the parsnips into a bowl, pour over the miso and maple syrup, and season well. Cover them well in the glaze. Remove the tin from the oven and carefully tip in the parsnips, basting them in the hot oil before roasting for 20 mins. Remove from the oven and baste again, then roast for another 10mins until golden and delicious. Fry the skins and sprinkle over the top
Charred Brussel Sprouts with chilli butter
Ingredients
600g brussels sprouts
4 tbsp Irish rapeseed oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled and bashed
2 tsp chilli flakes
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 tbsp butter
Method:
Bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Add the brussels sprouts and cook for 4-5 mins until just tender, then drain and leave to cool a little before slicing in half. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat, add the garlic and cook until golden but not burnt. Add the chilli flakes and a big pinch of salt to the oil, then put the sprouts cut-side down in the pan, and leave them to cook until nicely charred, add the remaining oil and the lemon juice, then cook for a few mins more.
Haselback potatoes:
Ingredients
1.5kg small - medium-sized floury potatoes.
4 tbsp Irish Rapeseed oil
4 garlic cloves, bashed
a few sprigs of rosemary
sea salt flakes
Method
Heat the oven to 180C. Use a skewer and insert through the back of one of the flatter sides of the potato. It should go through most of the potato. Place on a chopping board, skewer-side down, and slice through the potato (be careful not to cut all the way through). You can also put each potato in-between two handles of wooden spoons, and cut through to the spoon, if this is easier for you. A sharp knife will help to make slices a few mm apart. Remove the skewer and repeat with the remaining potatoes. Put the potatoes cut-side up on a shallow baking tray and drizzle over the oil. Rub each potato with your hands to coat well in the oil, getting some in between the slices. Toss in the bashed garlic, rosemary, and season well. Roast for 30 mins – 40 mins until the potatoes are tender throughout and the tops are golden and crisp. Baste with any oil in the pan halfway cooking to get extra crisp potatoes.
