Caramelized vegetables
2 servings
25 minutes
Caramelized vegetables are a refined dish of European cuisine that embodies a harmony of flavors and textures. Its roots can be found in the traditions of French gastronomy, where vegetables are often prepared with subtle caramel notes. Carrots, turnips, red onions, and other vegetables cooked this way acquire a deep sweet flavor with a hint of spiciness. Glazing with olive oil and sugar makes the vegetables shiny and aromatic, while adding lemon juice and fresh chives gives them freshness. The dish is perfect as a side for meat or fish but can also serve as a standalone vegetarian treat.
1
Peel the carrot, clean the tail, leaving green tops 5-6 centimeters long. Cut it in half lengthwise and shape each half into a perfect carrot. Place them in a pan, add a little olive oil, a pinch of salt, and twice as much sugar. Pour in water to cover the carrots and put on the heat. While the water evaporates, stir the carrots to evenly coat them with the caramel foam. When there is no water left in the pan, the carrots should be soft. If not, you can add more water.
- Young carrots: 4 pieces
- Olive oil: 100 ml
- Salt: 80 g
- Sugar: pinch
2
Peel the turnip and cut it into even strips about one centimeter wide. Glaze the turnip just like the carrot.
- Turnip: 2 pieces
- Sugar: pinch
3
Peel the red onion and cut it into 4 sectors. It's important not to cut the root so the wedges don't fall apart. Glaze them like the carrots, but only at the end when there's no water left, place the pan under the tap and shake it well several times to evenly coat the onion with caramel.
- Red onion: 2 heads
- Sugar: pinch
4
Cut the zucchini into large pieces and trim the sharp corners to the shape of a bay leaf. Throw it into boiling water with three teaspoons of salt for a minute, then immediately transfer to ice water.
- Zucchini: 0.5 piece
- Salt: 80 g
5
Cut off the root and most of the green leek stem. Boil the remaining part in heavily salted water until cooked (about 20 minutes) and transfer to ice water. Then cut the stem lengthwise into quarters.
- Leek: 1 piece
- Salt: 80 g
6
Cut the beet greens, slice the stems into 4-5 cm pieces, and sauté them in olive oil for a minute. Add salt and squeeze a tablespoon of lemon juice over the greens.
- Beet tops: 3 stems
- Olive oil: 100 ml
- Salt: 80 g
- Lemon: 0.3 piece
7
Mix all the vegetables, pour in the oil they were glazed with, and sprinkle with finely chopped green onions. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Olive oil: 100 ml
- Chives: 5 g
- Salt: 80 g
- Ground black pepper: to taste