Make sure you get the lowdown on the art on glazing with my post For Goodness Glaze
PARSNIPS WITH HONEY MISO GLAZE
I found this glazed parsnip recipe in an old Canadian cooking magazine while travelling there on assignment and I immediately was anxious to put them to the test with my own spin. This particular recipe has such a wow factor you’ll be incapable of forgetting them. The miso and honey transform this melancholy root veg from dull and spiritless to iconoclastic!
1 LB of turnips – cut into 1” wedges – about 2 ½ cups
1 TBSP of white miso paste (Miso is salty so don’t add salt until the cooking process is done)
2 TBSP of butter
1 ½ TBSP of clover honey
1 sprig of fresh thyme
Fresh cracked pepper
Water – enough to cover
Place the veggies in an 8” inch pan with high sides. Make sure that they fit tight in two layers. At this point, whisk the miso and honey together. Add the mix on top of the veg, plus the butter and barely cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook over medium/high heat, uncovered for about 10-12 minutes, shaking the pan every once in a while, until the liquid has reduced to a syrupy glaze. Test for doneness. Adjust for seasonings, sprinkle thyme and serve. They keep warm covered for about 15 minutes.
BUTTER BRAISED RADISHES
This ingenuous and simple way of cooking these gorgeous bright gems produces the most buttery, tender and succulent radishes you will ever taste! I used radishes in salads for crunch and for veggie dips, but I it quickly became a convert and now I’ve my affections are deeply rooted with this glazed version.
1 ½ LBS of radishes – tops removed and cut in half or in quarters if large
2 TBSP of butter
2/3 cup of chicken broth
1 TBSP of raspberry balsamic glaze
1 TBSP of honey
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
Melt the butter in a skillet and when frothing add the radishes. Cook over medium/high heat until they start to soften – about 5 minutes or so, tossing frequently. Add the chicken broth and simmer, covered for about 10 minutes – you want them soft but not mushy. Uncover, add the honey, the vinegar and adjust seasonings – stir often until you have obtained a glaze in the pan. Garnish with some chives or fresh chopped parsley.
MAPLE GLAZED CARROTS WITH GINGER AND FRESH TARRAGON
This recipe speaks for itself.
1 LB of carrots, scrapped and cut into ½ “rounds
2 TBSP of butter
2 TBSP of maple syrup
½ TSP of Grey Poupon mustard
1 TBSP of fresh grated ginger
2 TBSP of fresh tarragon – finely chopped (if you don’t have fresh tarragon you can use 1 TBSP dried)
Fresh chopped chives
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
Place the carrots inside the pan the same way you did with the radishes, making sure they are in compact layers. Whisk the maple syrup, ginger and mustard. Barely cover the carrots with water and add the maple syrup mixture, adding salt and fresh cracked pepper. Bring to a boil and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, shaking the pan every once in a while. Lower the heat and ensure that the veggies are coated thoroughly with the glaze. Adjust for seasonings, add the fresh tarragon and some chives before serving. They keep warm covered for about 15 minutes.
GLAZED CURRIED CIPOLLINI ONIONS
If you are an onion advocate and haven’t discovered the cipollini yet, you need to form a special acquaintance and I’ll wager you will give them your unswerving devotion! They are the jewel in the crown within the onion classification! They originate from Emilia Romana, a region in Italy famous for their Prosciutto di Parma and Porcini mushrooms. These perfectly formed onions, have the appearance of a UFO and after they are cooked, they transform into the sweetest morsels, making them a criminally swoon worthy side dish. I typically submerge them in boiling water for a few minutes and then add them to a bowl of ice water, as it makes for the removal of their skins easier. Glazing them with the drizzle of Balsamic while they are still hot before serving, make these a many splendored onion.
1 LB of Cipollini onions – peeled
3 TBSP of butter
1 TSP of balsamic vinegar
1 TBSP of brown sugar
1 TSP of curry paste or Mild Madras curry powder
1 sprig of thyme or finely chopped chives
Place the peeled onions in a pan wide ensuring that all they are tightly packed together. Add the curry, butter, sugar salt and pepper and cover them with about 1 cup of water (barely enough water to cover them). Cook them over high heat for about 8-10 minutes until the liquid is reducing to a glaze, shaking the pan a few times. Reduce heat and drizzle in the vinegar, tossing for 1 more minute to ensure that the glaze is coating the onions evenly.
NOTE
A trick I use to ensure that the veggies are glazed correctly is tasting them 9-10 minutes after they have braised, uncovered on high/medium heat. If you realize that they are cooking too quickly before the liquid is evaporating, remove the veggies to a bowl and allow the liquid to come to a glaze and then add them back to the pan to warm through and toss in the glaze. If the liquid is absorbed too quickly before the veggies cook, add a bit more water. And last but not least, listen to the bubbling and sizzling that occurs when the glaze has formed, which will let you know they are ready!
