Smoky sweet root vegetables

Cook these root vegetables for a special roast dinner. A sweet butter glaze contrasts beautifully with a subtle charred flavour – perfect for Christmas Day

  • Prep:10 mins
    Cook:10 mins
    Plus overnight chilling
  • Serves 10
  • Easy

Nutrition per serving

  • kcal 78
  • fat 2g
  • saturates 1g
  • carbs 11g
  • sugars 7g
  • fibre 6g
  • protein 1g
  • salt 0.7g

Ingredients

  • 75g butter
  • 75g caster sugar
  • 600g baby carrots, scrubbed (about 2cm of the tops left on), any larger ones cut in half lengthways
  • 600g baby parsnips, scrubbed, any larger ones cut in half lengthways
  • smoked salt
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • parsley, roughly chopped

Method

  1. The day before, put the butter, sugar and 500ml water in a deep frying pan. Heat until the butter is melted, then bring the liquid to the boil and simmer until lightly syrupy. Drop in the parsnips and cook, covered, for 6-8 mins until just tender then, using tongs, transfer to a roasting tin. Repeat with the carrots then tip them, with the liquid, into the roasting tin with the parsnips. Leave to cool, then put in the fridge overnight.

  2. When you are ready to eat, take the roots out the fridge, and lift out of the syrup. Discard the syrup. Heat a griddle or frying pan until searing hot then, in batches, put the roots cut-side down in the pan and cook for a min on each side until visibly charred. Sprinkle over the smoked salt, lemon juice and some parsley to serve.

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