Stovetop Roasted Root Vegetables

Roasting is a dry method that surrounds the food with heat for even cooking. The results of roasting are a beautifully caramelized surface with a tender interior. An oven is the ideal place for all this to occur, but sometimes my oven is otherwise occupied and I have to look elsewhere to provide similar outcomes.

To oven roast root vegetables, we need a good 45 minutes at 425ºF. If my oven is busy with some other dish that will not do well for an extended time at that high of a temperature, I have this substitute method that produces nearly identically roasted vegetables in a shorter period of time.

The trade-off is my time. Oven roasting works pretty much on autopilot but this method requires attention almost all the way through. But when I don’t have the oven space, I am very happy with the finished dish.


Stovetop Roasted Root Vegetables
Yield: 4 Servings     Preparation Time: 10 Minutes     Cooking Time: 20 Minutes

Ingredients

• 4 Medium Russet Potatoes, peeled and cut into 1” chunks
• 4 Large Carrots, peeled and cut into 1” coins
• 2 Large Leeks, dark green part and root end removed, cut into 1” coins
• 2 Cloves Garlic, peeled but not smashed
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• Kosher Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper


Preparation Steps

Step 1. Set a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add Olive Oil to thinly coat the bottom of the pan. Use more or less Olive Oil as needed to coat your pan.

Step 2. When the Oil is very hot, add the prepared vegetables and quickly stir to coat with the oil. Let the vegetables brown without disturbing them unless necessary, but do not allow them to burn. Turn the vegetables once to brown the opposite side.

Step 3. When the vegetables are nicely caramelized, turn them once more, cover, reduce the heat to simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Season with Kosher Salt and Black Pepper to taste and serve.

These are perfect with Broasted Corned Beef Brisket.


Tips and Trending

~ Add turnips or any other root vegetables to this mix. Slices of zucchini or other squashes work well with this method too.

~ If you use red or white thin skinned varieties of potatoes, scrub them well and cook unpeeled.

~ You can add other seasoning to the vegetables; use some of the same seasoning from your main course to tie the two together. To avoid scorching and bitter taste, don’t add seasoning until the vegetables have finished cooking.

~ Once the vegetables have finished cooking on the stovetop, I spread them on a baking sheet to keep hot in the oven while the rest of the meal finishes cooking.