Vegetables can be the best thing on the plate. Three methods do most of the work in a restaurant: glazing, roasting and puréeing.
Key idea
Glaze: cook carrots, turnips or pearl onions in a little water with butter, salt and a pinch of sugar until the water is gone and they are coated in a shiny glaze. Roast: toss in oil and salt, spread on a sheet pan with room between pieces, and roast at high heat (about 400°F to 450°F) until browned at the edges. Purée: cook until very tender, blend with butter or cream, and pass through a fine sieve for a silky texture.
- Cut evenly so pieces finish together (Knife Skills).
- Glaze in a pan just wide enough to hold the vegetables in one layer.
- Roast hard vegetables and soft ones separately, or add the soft ones later.
- Season purées well; they taste flat without salt and a little acid.
Why it works
Roasting browns vegetables through the Maillard reaction and caramelization, which needs a dry, hot surface. Crowded on the pan, they release steam and boil instead.
Worked example: Pick a method
You want carrots that are shiny, tender and lightly sweet, cooked on the stove.
- Little liquid, butter, sugar, cooked until the liquid becomes a glaze.
Answer: Glaze them.
Common mistake
Roasting on a crowded pan at too low a temperature. You get soft, pale vegetables.
Practice at home
- Roast cauliflower on two pans: one crowded, one spread out with space. Same oven, same time. Compare.
- Make a carrot purée and push half through a fine sieve. Taste the difference in texture.