Roast Vegetables

Fast, easy, and delectable. I love roasting vegetables. The dry heat concentrates flavors by removing water and browning at the same time. The action takes place in the oven, so there;s little cleanup (I'll even tell you how to avoid dirtying a bowl).

A previous post told about roasting squash and beets. Last night it was potatoes and brussels sprouts. I especially love brussels sprouts this way. Many people dislike sprouts because of the stinky state they reach when overcooked. Roasting gives just the right doneness: Bright and nutty, tender but not mushy.

It's so easy: Wash and trim your vegetables, toss in a bag with olive oil and seasonings, toss (that's how you avoid dirtying a bowl). Dump it all onto a sheet pan in a hot oven. That's pretty much it! Here's the recipe but it's easy to adapt to many, many other vegetables.

Roasted Sprouts and Potatoes
Serves 4

1 pound brussels sprouts (about 12)
1-2 pounds of small potatoes, or cut larger potatoes to roughly golf ball size
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon of kosher salt (or adjust to taste)
Seasonings of your choice (see note)

Note: For seasonings, you can use almost anything, fresh or dried. Last night, I used about a teaspoon each of dried dill, sage, and garlic powder. Blends like Old Bay work well. If you use blends that contain salt, omit the salt listed in the recipe.

Set over to 475 degrees.

Trim and wash vegetables. Shake to remove excess water. Cut vegetable to roughly the same size. It's best to halve everything so they have a flat side which can brown against the pan. In this case, I halved the sprouts and the potatoes.

Leak-test a plastic bag by inflating, pinching closed, and squeezing to make sure there are no leaks. Add all the ingredients to the bag, inflate the bag, squeeze closed, and shake gently over the sink (just in case the bag breaks) until all ingredients are well combined. The vegetables should be glossy but not dripping wet with oil. Add more oil, if needed and re-shake.

Dump it all onto a rimmed sheet pan and turn all the pieces so the cut side is down, against the pan. Place in oven and lower heat to 425.

Check after 15 minutes, then again every 5-10 minutes. Do not stir! The cut side will brown much better if allowed to stay in place, against the pan. They will stick to the pan at first but as they brown, they will release from the pan. Trust me. You want each item to be very slightly underdone. Sprouts should be bright green, tender but not soft. Potatoes should be browned on the bottom, soft and creamy inside and just starting to shrivel. If some items are done ahead of others, remove to the serving bowl and place pan back in oven.

When all are done, transfer them back to the pan and cover with foil, or with a second pan. Allow to rest 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle with a little more kosher salt and serve.

Comments

[Lulu]

This is my favorite way to eat brussels sprouts!