Roasting Older Vegetables Restores Flavor
Potatoes Aren't the Only Vegies that Love to be Roasted
Sep 27, 2009
There are numerous ways a cook can find herself dealing with slightly over-the-hill vegetables. Maybe the options at the farmer's market were too irresistible; maybe the garden exploded and vegetables grew a little too large; maybe the desire for asparagus overwhelmed the knowledge that it's Autumn and asparagus is a Spring vegetable. But instead of throwing away those vegetables that are just a little old, just a little too dull, or just a little too woody, try rejuvenating their hidden flavor by roasting over high heat.
Why High Roasting Maximizes Roasted Vegetable Flavor
The secret behind why high-heat roasting adds flavor is a chemical process called the Maillard reaction. Very simply, the Maillard reaction is a chamical reaction, triggered by heat, that occurs between the amino acids and sugars that are already present in the food. This reaction not only produces a characteristic browning but also develops up to hundreds of different flavor compounds. The Maillard reaction causes toast to brown, steaks to sear, and vegetables to roast. While chemically it's different than caramelization, its effects are very similar.
To maximize the Maillard reaction in any cooking process it's important to remember two things. First, the reaction occurs not just on the outside, but also on the inside--roasting a potato not only adds a flavorful crust on the exterior but adds flavor throughout the flesh of the potato. But to create optimal conditions for the flavor compounds to develop and to keep from diluting the flavor, it's necessary to use dry heat. The Maillard reaction can't occur in moist cooking situations such as steaming, microwaving, or boiling. Second, the reaction requires high heat, so roasting at high heat isn't dangerous for even tender vegetables like asparagus--in fact, it's essential.
The Basic Roasted Vegetable Recipe
The standard recipe for roasting vegetables is not really a list of ingredients, but rather a basic procedure, as follows:
- Heat the oven to 450 degrees; (however, if using a nonstick pan, the heat should be at 400 degrees since high heat can harm nonstick cookware).
- Wash and dry the vegetables. Dry them with a paper towel, whirl them in a salad spinner, or leave out on the kitchen counter to dry naturally.
- If desired, cut suitable vegetables like potatoes to maximize surface area--i.e. the area that will brown. Cut small potatoes in half; slice larger potatoes in thick slices. Green beans or asparagus, on the other hand, should be kept whole.
- Line a jelly roll or other rimmed flat pan with aluminum foil. Brush the foil with oil. The foil is optional if the pan is not a nonstick pan and is dark in color, but using foil really helps with the cleaning. If the pan is a nonstick pan, or light in color, the foil is necessary for optimal browning.
- In a large bowl, toss the vegetables with additional oil, salt, pepper, and other desired seasonings such as herbs or garlic.
- Layer the vegetables on the pan in a single, flat layer.
- Slide the pan into the hot oven.
- Turn the vegetables about halfway through the cooking process.
- Roast until the vegetables are tender and browned.
Special Tips for Roasted Potatoes, Asparagus, Green Beans, and Broccoli
The above instructions are universal; these tips are for individual vegetables:
- Roast potatoes flesh side (not skin side) down. When the potato piece can be lifted easily from the foil and no longer sticks, it's cooked and nicely browned. Do not try to pry or scrape the potato off the foil; scraping will leave the brown crust stuck to the foil.
- Use different oils to add special flavors. A little walnut oil combined with vegetable oil adds flavor to green beans. However, a flavorful olive oil works well with all vegetables.
- A minute or two before the vegetables are finished, sprinkle nuts on them. The nuts will roast while the vegetables finish. Add walnuts or pecans to green beans; almonds to asparagus.
- Cooking time will vary even from one batch of the same vegetable to the next; one batch may be older and/or tougher than the previous batch. Therefore, don't rely on timing, testing is the only reliable way to determine doneness. Tender vegetables like asparagus or beans should be tested at 10 minutes; potatoes can be left for 30 minutes. To test, check color and pierce the vegetable with the tip of a sharp knife to see if the vegetable is tender (i.e. the knife slips in easily).
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