Recipe: Root Vegetables

Recipes title

Root Vegetables—Glazed

Serving Size: 4
Preparation Time :0:30

1 lb root veg: carrots, turnips, parsnips—cut football shape
3 tbls clarified butter or oil
2 tbls sugar
2 cups stock, white or water
3 tbls butter
1 tbl parsley—chopped

Preparation

Cut the root veg chosen into football shapes. These are called "turned" carrots, parsnips, turnips etc. And are used in classical vegetable garnish. Begin with a 'log' of about 2 inches in length. Hold it in your left hand, between thumb and forefinger. Holding a paring knife in your right hand, place in on the top cut surface of the log, 1/4 of the way from the center of the long axis, and cut upwards to the center of the short axis. This will remove a triangular piece, thicker at the base, and thinnest at the tip. Do this all around the log, in seven segments. Reverse the log and repeat, and then smooth it off to make a balanced oval or football shape. You can also use a parisenne cutter (balls) or an olivette cutter (olives) to make the shapes. The trimmings should be saved for another occasion. They can be boiled and mashed with potatoes. For carrots and parsnips you can peel and cut on a bias to get oval slices 1/8" thick.
Heat a sauté pan, add clarified butter, which will loose its yellow color when ready (about 400 F), or add oil, and as it begins to show traces of smoke, add the vegetables and sauté until they take some color. (You might call it some slight burn marks.)
At this point you can add sugar and let it lightly caramelize.
Cover the veg with water or stock. Stock is much better. Add butter. Cook covered till half done.
Remove cover and cook until almost all liquid is gone, leaving a glaze on the vegetables. Add a pinch of salt and the chopped parsley.

Important Note; You can stop a little before all liquid is gone and hold at this point. Then just as you are ready to use the veg, you can finish them on a fast fire in a moment or two. nb: If you are using fine fresh young California carrots like Maggio Carrots, you don't want to add as much sugar, they are sweet enough, so reduce the amount of sugar by half. This recipe is really designed for older stored Winter vegetables. Make small prebaked tart shells and fill with glazed carrots or parsnips (or a mixture).

Notes: Turned root vegetables were a very popular garnish. Every apprentice learned to turn root vegetables, very early on.