Roasting root veggies is a super simple thing to do. The type of veggies you use and how you go about doing the roasting, will determine if the end result is soft and creamy, or firm and crispy. For this particular dish my goal is sweet, soft and creamy; but if you want your sweet veggies more firm check out the tips below.
Serves 14 people
Ingredients: Be sure to note that every time I make roasted veggies, I just wing it, tossing in the herbs and spices I am in the mood for at that time. So feel free to experiment and do what feels right to you.
Grab a mixture of raw sweet potatoes and raw yams, for a total of 5 or 6 big potatoes
1 big red onion
2 shallot cloves
Dried Sage
Dried Thyme
Ground Black Pepper
Sea Salt
Olive Oil
Instructions:
Set the oven to bake at 425 degrees and make sure the rack is in the middle of the oven.
Peel, rinse and chop the potatoes - you want big chunks of potato that are just small enough to be bite size. Put the chopped potatoes in a big roasting pan.
Peel and cut the onion in half. Chop one of the halves into 1/4's and add to the pan. Coarsely chop the other half of the onion and add it to the pan as well.
Mince the 2 shallot cloves and add them to the pan.
Set the cutting board and knife aside and gather your spices, seasonings and olive oil.
Add the spices and seasonings to the pan as follows: toss in 2 small pinches of sage and 2 generous pinches of salt, generously sprinkle the thyme and black pepper over the potatoes for about 30 seconds or so, and - while holding your thumb over the opening of the oil bottle - drizzle the oil over the whole thing for a quick 5-second count (counting 1 1000, 2 1000, 3 1000 etc. etc).
toss it all together with you hands until well combined and toss in the oven.
bake for about 45 min or until the potatoes are very soft when pierced with a fork - be sure to gently stir half way through the baking time.
Cover with foil and keep in a 175 - 200 degree oven until ready to serve.
TIPS:
To ensure soft and creamy potatoes, the perfect size roasting pan will be crowded with layers of potatoes. The crowding causes the potatoes to steam themselves, which increases the moisture and insures your potatoes won't be firm or crisp.
For firmer potatoes, bake the recipe in three or more batches. You want a roomy, single layer of potatoes. You will also need to reduce the cooking time, checking the potatoes after 25 minutes and cooking just until you can slide a fork through a potato piece. AND ... try to serve the potatoes immediately because covering them will hold in moisture, which you don't want.
Try using garlic instead or in addition to the shallots
Try rosemary and basil instead of sage and thyme
Add beats, leaks, carrots, granny smith apples, even olives are amazing roasted with veggies ... if you think you will like it, give it a try.
