KUALA LUMPUR, April 13 — Vegetables can be an afterthought.
Sometimes they feel like a requisite side dish, more of a duty than a pleasure. The main course ought to be the star, you say, the pièce de résistance.
Yet I find no reason why vegetables can’t have their moment in the limelight. Our parents remind us to eat our greens when we are young; as every passing year has shown, our progenitors are often wiser than we would like to admit.
On this note, I would like to tackle a pair of root vegetables. One is considered plain and mundane, the other too obscure and unlikeable.
I’m talking about carrots and fennel.
Two plants that belong to the same family and, perhaps, similarly been overlooked by hasty home cooks.
If you find run-of-the-mill carrots too ho-hum, consider heirloom carrots. These are less generic looking, boasting a variety of hues — a dirty beige, a dark purple, a grungier shade of orange — and a more rustic appearance.
Fennel can seem like a bloated celery to some, with its rotund bulb, green stalks and frilly, dill-like fronds. But its intense licorice taste can be tamed by heat and the right seasoning, revealing layers of flavour.
Perhaps now is the time for carrots and fennel to shine.
ROASTED CARROTS & FENNEL ON YOGHURT WITH CHILLI OIL
You may use normal carrots here; simply cut them into half lengthwise so they can crisp more easily. Heirloom carrots, in addition to their different colours, tend to be thinner so you can use them whole.
To prepare the fennel, I find half a bulb is enough if it’s a large one. You might use the full bulb if it is medium sized. Make sure to remove the green stalks before slicing the bulb into half lengthwise and slicing it further into wedges for more even cooking.
You can roast both the carrots and fennel in the same baking tray or use two separate ones as I have. Either way, the idea here is to ensure the vegetables are spaced evenly and not crowded in the tray so they are able to crisp properly.
I have only used balsamic vinegar for the fennel; I find its sharp acidity a welcome counterbalance to the aniseed notes of the vegetable.
As a matter of fact, each main element of this dish has its own flavour enhancer: the bed of yoghurt gets a generous drizzle of chilli oil, the heat of the latter matching the creamy coolness of the former; the caramelised heirloom carrots is further sweetened by a little runny honey to finish.
Ingredients
- 1 bunch heirloom carrots (about 6-10 carrots, depending on size)
- ½ large fennel bulb, halved lengthwise and cut into wedges
- 1-2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Sea salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 4-5 tablespoons full cream yoghurt
- Chilli oil, for drizzling
- Runny honey, for drizzling
Method
Preheat the oven to 220°C.
Place the heirloom carrots and fennel wedges in a bowl. Drizzle with just enough extra virgin olive oil to coat them. Sprinkle sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Toss the vegetables evenly until well coated with the oil, salt and black pepper. Transfer them to trays lined with baking paper, one for the carrots and the other for the fennel.
Drizzle the fennel with balsamic vinegar, turning the wedges gently to ensure even coating.
Roast the vegetables in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until they are tender and have begun to crisp at the edges.
Remove the roasted vegetables from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature before plating.
Smear the yoghurt on a large plate. Drizzle some chilli oil over the yoghurt.
Place the roasted fennel on top of the yoghurt, followed by the roasted carrots. Finish with a drizzle of runny honey and serve immediately.
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