My God, I’m already so sick of meat; Christmas might be gruelling. Here’s a simply, tasty, indulgent recipe for when you tire of the turkey, ham, and spiced beef.
This is a basic crumble which will work well cooked in a large dish, but will work even better cooked in individual portions. It uses a lot of store cupboard ingredients, so works out reasonably cheap.
Eat it all at once: it’s just not as good the next day. Serves four.
Ingredients
3 large carrots
2 medium parsnips
2 leeks
Around 100g hazelnuts
4 garlic cloves, chopped
Half a glass of white wine
140mls cream
50mls vegetable stock
2 sprigs thyme, or 1/2 tsp dried
A handful of breadcrumbs
100g grated parmesan (or a cheaper alternative such as Grana Padano)
A teaspoon of Dijon mustard (optional, use if available)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Chop the carrots to about this size. Photos: Stock.Xchng
Method
Chop all the root vegetables into small, sized squares. Roast them in the oven for around 35-40 minutes on a high heat.
Remove the hazelnut skins using this foolproof trick. Crush them into halves, quarters, and smaller pieces, and roast for around 5 minutes with the vegetables. Shake them once or twice, and take care that they do not overcook.
Chop the leeks, and cook them with the garlic in a pan on a high heat with the melted butter for 2-3 minutes.
Add the wine, thyme, and – if you have it – mustard and cook for 3 minutes. Now add the cream and cook on a high heat for another two minutes.
Now just combine the the roast vegetables and leek mix, top with the crushed hazelnuts, scatter over the grated cheese and the breadcrumbs, and return to the oven until bubbling hot and the edges are turning crispy brown.
Serve with some French beans, fried cabbage, or broccoli fried in sesame and soy sauce.
