Korean Roasted Roots
Caramelised root vegetables get a spicy kick from Korean gochujang – a red paste made with soy beans, rice flour and chilli flakes. It's easy to find in good supermarkets or on-line. The vegetables are topped with crunchy Pickled Daikon (mooli) with Turmeric, making a technicolour dish of complex sweet, sour and hot flavours.
Serve with plain rice as a vegetarian main course, or as a side dish with oily fish or fatty meats.
Serves 4–6
beetroots (no bigger than a tennis ball) 4
carrots (preferably organic) 4, large
red onion 1
clear honey 2 tbsp
soy sauce 2 tbsp
rapeseed oil 2 tbsp
gochujang ½ –1 tsp
sea salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
Pickled Daikon with Turmeric (see recipe below)
spring onions 3 large, sliced diagonally
1) Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas 6. Line a large roasting tray with foil.
2) Prepare the vegetables. Peel the beetroot and slice into 8 segments. Peel the carrots and thickly slice diagonally. Peel the onion and slice into 6 segments. Put all the vegetables in a bowl.
3) Whisk the honey, soy sauce, oil and gochujang. Pour over the vegetables, tossing to coat.
4) Spread out the vegetables on the roasting tray in a single layer. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
5) Roast for 20–30 minutes, turning occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and beginning to look sticky and brown at the edges.
6) Tip into a warmed serving dish. Top with some of the pickled daikon (serve the rest on the side). Sprinkle with the spring onions and serve right away.
For the pickled daikon (mooli) with turmeric:
daikon 1 firm, weighing about 300g
sea salt 1 tbsp
rice vinegar or cider vinegar 125ml
water 125ml
sugar 100g
ground turmeric ½ tsp
black peppercorns ½ tsp, crushed
1) Trim and peel the daikon. Slice very thinly (2–3mm), preferably using a mandolin. Put in a colander set on a plate. Add the salt and toss well. Leave for 45 minutes, tossing every 15 minutes.
2) Put the remaining ingredients in a saucepan. Simmer, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved.
3) Rinse the daikon under running water. Drain well, then spread out in a single layer on a clean tea towel. Blot dry.
4) Put the daikon in a bowl. Pour over the vinegar mixture. Leave to cool completely, then transfer to a clean jar with a lid. Store in the fridge for up to a week.
Recipe © Christine McFadden based on a recipe from www.tastingtable.com |