Root & Leaf: Big, Bold Vegetarian Food

I love the idea of big, bold vegetarian food, so I was pleased to be offered a preview copy of Root & Leaf: Big, Bold Vegetarian Food by English chef Rich Harris. I was even happier when I realized that the recipes live up to the title. Root & Leaf serves up a full seven courses of creative, flavourful recipes from around the world and Harris encourages readers to be flexible and not afraid to mix things up.

Endless Variety of Flavours 
Harris isn’t a vegetarian, but he does believe we should all be eating more fruits and vegetables. He wants people looking at his cookbook “to get excited about cooking with vegetables and the endless variety of flavours and textures that are at our disposal if we make them the main event.” 

Licorice-scented fennel is a vegetable that we don’t see all that often in Canada, but recipes for Braised Fennel with Pangrattato and Fennel Tarte Fine are appealing. Some of the recipes are simple and straightforward but still add dollops of flavour – Roast Carrots with Miso Honey Butter, Carrot Cake Granola, Spiced Pumpkin Chocolate Mousse, and Carrot Apple and Ginger Frozen Yogurt.

I was pleased to find a recipe for No-Fish Sauce, an ingredient that is so critical to Southeast Asian cuisine. Harris says, “This should taste intensely savoury and very salty with just enough funk to replicate the pungency of Thai fish sauce.”

Circling the Globe 
Harris’ recipes include flavours from around the world. There are Indian (Chilli Paneer, Baingan Bharta), Asian (Lotus Leaf Parcels with Shiitake Mushrooms, Smoked Mushroom Ramen), and Italian (Spinach and Blue Cheese Polenta, Artichoke and Lemon Orzo Risotto) dishes. One recipe that really intrigued me is King Oyster Larb, a vegetarian version of a Lao/Thai salad.

There are pancake-like recipes from at least 4 different countries: Onion Rava Dosa from India, Banh Xeo from Vietnam, Okonomiyaki from Japan (recipe provided below), and Winter Vegetable Frittata from Italy.

Creativity
Some of the recipes really surprised me, such as the Smoky Potato Terrine, which uses a dusting of smoky bacon-flavored crisps [potato chips] to add flavour. Or you can try Chargrilled Greens with Garlic Custard or Kimchi Grilled Cheese Sandwiches. I was intrigued to see a dessert recipe for Celeriac Rice Pudding, but Harris says, “That sweet, earthy flavour combined with subtle spices in a classic rice pudding tastes pretty incredible.”

Harris isn’t afraid to mix things up. There’s a Korean-inspired version of the iconic Spanish dish, patatas bravas (recipe provided below). He’s also flexible: “If recipes are approached as a set of strict rules that must be obeyed to the letter, then cooking ceases to be fun, and if it’s not fun, then what’s the point? . . . there’s no harm in using alternatives as you see fit. . . . if you can’t find baby vegetables just buy the grown-up size and get busy with your knife.”

My thanks to Octopus Publishing and Ron Longe for the preview copy as well as recipes and photographs.

Okonomiyaki 
These Japanese pancakes are as fun to make as they are to say; the name literally translates as ‘how you like it’, which I take to mean that you can add pretty much any combination of ingredients. The most important thing is to slice all of the vegetables finely enough so that they cook at the same rate and retain a little crunch. It’s possible to buy specific okonomiyaki flour in Japanese food shops, but a combination of plain flour and cornflour does the trick just as well. 

Serves 2 as a main or serves 4 as a side

150g plain flour
20g cornflour
300ml Vegetable Stock (page 200)
5 medium eggs
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and grated
1 large Hispi (pointed) cabbage, shredded
8 fresh shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
6 spring onions, finely sliced
80g shredded red pickled ginger
generous pinch of fine sea salt
groundnut oil, for frying

For the sauce:
6 tablespoons tomato ketchup
2 tablespoons Mushroom Ketchup (page 204)
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1½ teaspoons dark brown soft sugar

To serve:
Kewpie (Japanese) mayonnaise
 aonori (seaweed flakes – optional)

Mix together the plain flour and cornflour in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Whisk together the stock and eggs, pour into the well and gradually whisk into the flour mixture until you have a smooth batter. Fold in the prepared vegetables and ginger and season with the salt.

Whisk together the ingredients for the sauce in a separate bowl and set aside.

Heat a splash of groundnut oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and pour in the vegetable mixture. For the first minute, shake the pan around and keep the vegetables moving, then let everything settle. Fry for 4 minutes without moving the pan, then cover the pan with a large plate and flip over both the plate and pan together so that the pancake falls onto the plate. Add a little more oil to the pan, then slide the pancake back into the pan and cook for a further 4–5 minutes until the pancake is set and the vegetables are crisp around the edges.

Slide the pancake onto a warmed serving plate and brush the sauce over the top. Drizzle over the mayonnaise and top with the aonori, if using. Cut into wedges and serve.

Kimchi Bravas 
I always used to be of the opinion that you shouldn’t mess with classic dishes, particularly something as iconic as patatas bravas. However, times change and these are bloody delicious, so I’m happy to ignore my former self. The sauce for any good bravas, Korean-inspired or otherwise, should be deep red and sticky enough to cling to the crisp exterior of the potatoes. Toss them together moments before serving so they’re coated in the sauce but still stay crispy underneath. 

Serves 6

150ml olive oil
fine sea salt
750g Désirée potatoes, peeled and cut into roughly 3cm dice

For the sauce:
250g kimchi
250g passata

For the aioli:
1 medium egg yolk
2 teaspoons gochujang (Korean hot red chilli paste)
1 small garlic clove, peeled and crushed
100ml vegetable oil
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon rice vinegar

Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. Pour the olive oil into a roasting tin and put it into the oven to heat.

Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the diced potatoes and boil for 10 minutes, then drain thoroughly. Tip the potatoes into the roasting tin, toss to coat in the hot oil and roast for 25 minutes until golden and crisp, tossing occasionally in the oil.

Meanwhile, for the sauce, put the kimchi and passata in a liquidiser and blend until they form a coarse paste. Pour into a saucepan, bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat.

For the aioli, put the egg yolk, gochujang and garlic in a large bowl and whisk together until smooth. Combine the oils in a jug and, whisking constantly, begin to pour the blended oil into the bowl in a very thin, steady stream. Continue steadily adding the oil and whisking until it’s all incorporated, then whisk in the vinegar.

Remove the roasting tin from the oven, lift the potatoes from the tin with a slotted spoon and briefly drain on kitchen paper. Tip the potatoes into a bowl, add half of the sauce and quickly toss to coat. Spoon the remaining sauce into a serving dish, top with the potatoes and spoon over the aioli.