Today I have two recipes that use our great root vegetables. As I do demos around the country, I keep meeting people who are growing their own. We are pleased to grow a lot of our own vegetables in the polytunnel we have at the restaurant. As gardeners will tell you, it is hard to beat the taste when you grow your own. During the recent filming I did in Waterford I was delighted to get a chance to visit GrowHQ where they grow all of the vegetables they serve in the restaurant themselves. A great success story.
So today is a celebration of our root vegetable. Butternut squash is difficult to work with but you will be able to buy it pre-prepared. It is a vegetable I like and often use in soup at home. Instead of steak you could us a roast chicken in this recipe. It will be a great family meal.
The pork recipe makes a great Sunday lunch. Again, this is a real vegetable feast with lots of crunch and taste. The roast rack of pork is not used all that often and I think it makes a great treat.
Happy cooking,
Neven
Steak with roasted root vegetables. \ Photography: Philip Doyle. Food styling: Sharon Hearne-Smith
Steak with roasted root vegetables
Serves four
6 tbsp rapeseed oil
4 large garlic cloves, peeled
1 long red chilli, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
1 heaped tsp fresh thyme leaves
8 small carrots, halved lengthways
4 small parsnips, halved
12 large shallots, peeled and trimmed
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into wedges
4 x 150 g (5oz) fillet steaks
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F, gas mark five). To prepare the roasted root vegetables, place four tablespoons of the oil in a large roasting tin and add the garlic, chilli (if using) and thyme. Add all of the vegetables, except the butternut squash and toss well to combine. 2 Season generously and bake for 40 minutes until almost tender and lightly golden, tossing from time to time to ensure they caramelise evenly. Add the butternut squash to the pan and toss to combine, then roast for another 20-30 minutes until all of the vegetables are completely tender and caramelised. 3 Heat a large heavy-based frying pan until very hot. Rub the remaining two tablespoons of oil all over the steaks and season to taste. 4 Add the coated steaks to the heated pan and cook for two minutes, then turn over and cook for another three minutes for rare. If you prefer your meat medium, increase cooking time by one minute on each side; or for well done increase by two minutes on each side. 5 Remove the steaks from the heat and set aside in a warm place to rest.6 Carve the steaks and arrange on warmed serving plates on a pile of the roasted root vegetables. Serve immediately.Roast rack of pork with root vegetables
Serves eight to 10
2.25-2.75kg (5-6lb) rack of pork, chined and rind scored
1 large onion, thickly sliced
2 carrots, cut into thick slices on the diagonal
2 celery sticks, cut in half
1 tbsp rapeseed oil
200ml (7fl oz) white wine
For the marinade:
2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp fennel seeds, toasted
juice and rind of 1 lemon
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the roasted vegetables:
10 red onions, cut into large chunks
10 carrots, cut into large chunks
10 small parsnips, cut into large chunks
10 potatoes, cut into large chunks
3 tbsp rapeseed oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 A day ahead, if possible, marinate the pork. Mix the oil, garlic, fennel seeds, lemon juice and rind together in a small bowl. Place the pork in a shallow non-metallic dish that will fit into the fridge comfortably. Spread over the marinade, then cover with cling film. Leave in the fridge overnight to allow the flavours to penetrate the flesh. 2 Preheat the oven to 240°C (475°F, gas mark nine). Take the pork out of the fridge half an hour before you plan to cook it. Put the slices of onion, carrot and celery in a large roasting tin, then season well and drizzle over a little oil. Pour in the wine to the side and place the marinated pork on top. Season with salt and put in the oven, then immediately turn the heat down to 200°C (400°F, gas mark six) and roast for two hours, basting halfway through. 3 After the pork has been cooking for one hour, toss the red onions, carrots, parsnips and potatoes in the oil in a separate roasting tin and season to taste, then place on the top shelf above the pork. Roast for 45–50 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and just beginning to caramelise. 4 When the pork is cooked to your liking, take it out of the oven and transfer to a carving board to rest. How does the crackling look? If it doesn’t look crispy enough, use a sharp knife to peel the skin away from the layer of fat and the meat. Put this crackling back into the oven on a baking sheet for another five to 10 minutes, until crisp and golden. Cover the meat with a layer of tin foil and a clean tea towel and put aside for 20 minutes to rest. To serve, carve the pork into slices and arrange on warmed plates with chunks of the crackling and the roasted root vegetables.
Today I have two recipes that use our great root vegetables. As I do demos around the country, I keep meeting people who are growing their own. We are pleased to grow a lot of our own vegetables in the polytunnel we have at the restaurant. As gardeners will tell you, it is hard to beat the taste when you grow your own. During the recent filming I did in Waterford I was delighted to get a chance to visit GrowHQ where they grow all of the vegetables they serve in the restaurant themselves. A great success story.
So today is a celebration of our root vegetable. Butternut squash is difficult to work with but you will be able to buy it pre-prepared. It is a vegetable I like and often use in soup at home. Instead of steak you could us a roast chicken in this recipe. It will be a great family meal.
The pork recipe makes a great Sunday lunch. Again, this is a real vegetable feast with lots of crunch and taste. The roast rack of pork is not used all that often and I think it makes a great treat.
Happy cooking,
Neven
Steak with roasted root vegetables. \ Photography: Philip Doyle. Food styling: Sharon Hearne-Smith
Steak with roasted root vegetables
Serves four
6 tbsp rapeseed oil
4 large garlic cloves, peeled
1 long red chilli, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
1 heaped tsp fresh thyme leaves
8 small carrots, halved lengthways
4 small parsnips, halved
12 large shallots, peeled and trimmed
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into wedges
4 x 150 g (5oz) fillet steaks
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F, gas mark five). To prepare the roasted root vegetables, place four tablespoons of the oil in a large roasting tin and add the garlic, chilli (if using) and thyme. Add all of the vegetables, except the butternut squash and toss well to combine. 2 Season generously and bake for 40 minutes until almost tender and lightly golden, tossing from time to time to ensure they caramelise evenly. Add the butternut squash to the pan and toss to combine, then roast for another 20-30 minutes until all of the vegetables are completely tender and caramelised. 3 Heat a large heavy-based frying pan until very hot. Rub the remaining two tablespoons of oil all over the steaks and season to taste. 4 Add the coated steaks to the heated pan and cook for two minutes, then turn over and cook for another three minutes for rare. If you prefer your meat medium, increase cooking time by one minute on each side; or for well done increase by two minutes on each side. 5 Remove the steaks from the heat and set aside in a warm place to rest.6 Carve the steaks and arrange on warmed serving plates on a pile of the roasted root vegetables. Serve immediately.Roast rack of pork with root vegetables
Serves eight to 10
2.25-2.75kg (5-6lb) rack of pork, chined and rind scored
1 large onion, thickly sliced
2 carrots, cut into thick slices on the diagonal
2 celery sticks, cut in half
1 tbsp rapeseed oil
200ml (7fl oz) white wine
For the marinade:
2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp fennel seeds, toasted
juice and rind of 1 lemon
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the roasted vegetables:
10 red onions, cut into large chunks
10 carrots, cut into large chunks
10 small parsnips, cut into large chunks
10 potatoes, cut into large chunks
3 tbsp rapeseed oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 A day ahead, if possible, marinate the pork. Mix the oil, garlic, fennel seeds, lemon juice and rind together in a small bowl. Place the pork in a shallow non-metallic dish that will fit into the fridge comfortably. Spread over the marinade, then cover with cling film. Leave in the fridge overnight to allow the flavours to penetrate the flesh. 2 Preheat the oven to 240°C (475°F, gas mark nine). Take the pork out of the fridge half an hour before you plan to cook it. Put the slices of onion, carrot and celery in a large roasting tin, then season well and drizzle over a little oil. Pour in the wine to the side and place the marinated pork on top. Season with salt and put in the oven, then immediately turn the heat down to 200°C (400°F, gas mark six) and roast for two hours, basting halfway through. 3 After the pork has been cooking for one hour, toss the red onions, carrots, parsnips and potatoes in the oil in a separate roasting tin and season to taste, then place on the top shelf above the pork. Roast for 45–50 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and just beginning to caramelise. 4 When the pork is cooked to your liking, take it out of the oven and transfer to a carving board to rest. How does the crackling look? If it doesn’t look crispy enough, use a sharp knife to peel the skin away from the layer of fat and the meat. Put this crackling back into the oven on a baking sheet for another five to 10 minutes, until crisp and golden. Cover the meat with a layer of tin foil and a clean tea towel and put aside for 20 minutes to rest. To serve, carve the pork into slices and arrange on warmed plates with chunks of the crackling and the roasted root vegetables. 
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