Roasted vegetables can often end up being the unsung heroes of your Christmas dinner. Vegetables such as sprouts, parsnips, carrots, and of course potatoes can be absolutely delicious when cooked well. Here are three tips to make your roasted vegetables perfect this Christmas.
Roast Sprouts And Chestnuts Together
Sprouts, for many people, are the villain of the Christmas dinner. This may well be because many people only ever try boiled sprouts, which are far more bitter and divisive than their roasted version. If you prepare your sprouts and cut them in half, you can roast them with a bit of olive oil and salt for about 20 minutes, and they become sweet and gooey and totally delicious. You can also add some pre-cooked chestnuts to the tray halfway through cooking to add an even mor Christmassy element to your roasted sprouts.
Perfect Roasted Potatoes
Roast potatoes are one of the best things about Christmas dinner, but they can often end up being dry or not crispy enough. To make sure you get them perfect every time, first cut them into evenly sized chunks and then par-boil them for about 12 minutes in heavily salted water. Next, preheat your cooking oil (don’t use olive oil at first) in the oven, and gently place your parboiled potatoes in the tray. Salt them and add black pepper, before roasting on medium heat for at least 30 minutes. Par-boiling them should ensure they are fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside. If you want to boost them even further, you can cook them in goose fat rather than cooking oil.
Delicious Roasted Carrots and Parsnips
The main trick with roasting your carrots and parsnips is to cook them slowly and on low-medium heat. This way, you will encourage the natural sugars of these vegetables to be brought out more fully. If you want, you can even add sugar to them to speed up this process, but it’s not necessary. Make sure not to add too much oil as they can quickly become quite greasy, and you are aiming to bring out their natural fresh and sweet flavor.
