These sage-roasted roots make an excellent side for roast chicken or pork. Serves 4
Sage
Fresh Sage is a tough woody herb with slightly furry leaves which makes it more suited to chopping and cooking then it does to finish a dish. To my mind, its associated with autumn but its actually available all year round. Here, I’m using dried sage because its easier to find in my local supermarket, but chopping fresh sage can prove quite a challenge without a sharp knife.
Vegetables
There’s no need to peel the vegetables, but they should be scrubbed clean of any visible debris and trimmed of their tops. The core of parsnips can be quite tough, although they tend to soften a little when cooked. Some recipes call for parsnips to be cored, some don’t. Personally, I wouldn’t bother unless they felt woody when cutting. However, even then, there are edible, even if tough. Like everything it comes down to preference.
Blanching the Vegetables
While it’s not strictly necessary, I highly recommended blanching the carrots in boiling water before cooking to soften them a little. This will reduce the cooking time to a total time similar to that of parsnips and ensure an even cooking between the vegetables.
Ingredients
4 Carrots, Trimmed, and Quartered
4 Parsnips, Trimmed, and Quartered
45ml Olive Oil
1 Tsp Dry Sage
1 Tsp Fresh Parsley, Chopped
½ Tsp Salt
Method
- Pre heat the oven to 200 degrees C for a fan assisted oven or 400 degrees F, or gas mark 6.
- Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and cook the carrots for 4-6 minutes depending on the size until they’re just cooked. Drain well.
- In a bowl, mix the carrots, parsnips with olive oil, sage, and salt. Then, lay the vegetables in a single layer in a roasting tin.
- Roast in the centre of the pre heated oven for 30-35 minutes until the vegetables are tender, and begin to char.
- Finish with the fresh parsley and serve.