There's something to be said for roasting, it's a cooking method that's been with us for ages and it renders an almost perfect texture and taste at the end. It's relevant to meat, seafood, vegetables and fruit.Roasting meat at high temperatures pulls the fat out and leaves you with a tender, juicy interior encased by a tasty crusted exterior.Roasting meats on a low heat for a long period of time results in an extremely tender and juicy cut of meat.Roasting vegetables removes the water in the vegetables, concentrates the flavour and caramelises the sugar in the veggies to yield a tender and sweet vegetable.The same applies to fruit but the beauty of roasting fruit is the succulent juicy and tender fruit you get to enjoy at the end.There are no hard and fast rules for roasting and you can experiment and tailor the method to your liking.
Roasted Beet and Onion Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
4 medium beets, washed
4 medium onions
1 large sprig fresh French thyme
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
METHOD
Preheat oven to 350F.
Peel onions, lightly score at top.
Place beets and onions onto heavy-duty aluminum foil. Combine pepper, balsamic and olive oil, drizzle onto beets and onions, top with sprig of thyme and wrap securely.
Bake until tender about 60 minutes.
Remove from oven and cool.
Peel beets and slice, arrange on platter topped with onions.
Drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette, and serve warm.
Balsamic Vinaigrette
1 oz balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
3 ozs olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
METHOD
Combine vinegar with garlic, whisk in olive oil, season with salt and black pepper.
Drizzle onto beets.
Makes about one third of a cup.
Roasted Pineapple with Brown Sugar
1 small pineapple, peeled cored and cut into chunks
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup dark rum (optional)
METHOD
Preheat oven to 400F.
Place pineapple in a shallow buttered baking dish.
Sprinkle on brown sugar and rum if using.
Roast uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes until pineapple is tender and a bit charred on the edges.
Marinated Roasted Vegetable Salad
1 medium eggplant
1 sweet red pepper
1 onion, peeled
1 cup fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsps balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
METHOD
Combine olive oil, garlic, vinegar salt and pepper and whisk together.
Slice the eggplant into 1/4 inch thick slices.
Rub the vegetables with about 2 tbsps of the marinade and let sit for about 30 minutes.
Grill until tender.
Chop vegetables into strips and combine with the remaining marinade.
Sprinkle with fresh basil and serve.
Serves 4 to 6