A recipe from the wonderful Nigel Slater for a delightful festive dish of mash and toasted, smoky vegetables. A warm, savoury dish to mild the winter chill this Christmas.
Deep drifts of mash. Toasted, smoky vegetables.
celeriac: 750g
Jerusalem artichokes 25og
butter 50g
hot vegetable or chicken stock 250ml
carrots, small to medium 8
parsnips 2
garlic: 6 cloves
beetroots, small raw 4
thyme 8 sprigs
butter 75g
sunflower seeds 3 tablespoons
parsley, chopped 2 heaped
tablespoons
smoked salt 2 teaspoons
Set the oven at 200°C/Gas 6. Peel the celeriac and cut into large pieces, about the size of roast potatoes. Put them in a roasting tin. Peel the artichokes, then add them to the roasting tin. Break the butter into small pieces and dot over the vegetables, season, then roast for about an hour until lightly browned. They mustn’t crisp like roast potatoes, but instead develop pale gold, lightly caramelised edges. Test them for softness; a skewer should slide through them with ease.
Scrub or peel the carrots as you wish, then cut them in half lengthways. Do the same with the parsnips, peeling them if their skins are tough (as they often can be) and cutting them in hal£ Put the carrots and parsnips in a roasting tin. Tuck the garlic cloves, still in their skins, amongst the carrots. Trim the little beetroots, cut into quarters, then add to the tin along with the sprigs of thyme and the butter. Season generously, then bake for about an hour. Turn the vegetables over once or twice as they roast.
Tip the roast celeriac and artichokes into a food processor, add most of the stock and reduce to a smooth puree, introducing more of the stock as necessary. Check the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper as you wish.
In a small pan, toast the sunflower seeds over high heat till they smell nutty, then mix with the chopped parsley and smoked salt:
Spoon the mash on to a serving dish, add the roast vegetables, scatter with the seeds and parsley and serve.
Recipe taken from Greenfeast by Nigel Slater.
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