Australian Gourmet Traveller - (04)April 2019 (1)

116 GOURMET TRAVELLER

200 gm cultured butter (see

recipe p115)

4 Jerusalem artichokes

1 small fennel bulb, trimmed

2 witlof

2 small leeks, trimmed

4 large spring onions,

trimmed

Juice of 1 lemon

Crusty bread and crumbly

cheese, to serve

Butter-braised vegetables

SERVES 4

“This is inspired by two food writers I greatly

admire, Jennifer McLagan and Molly Wizenburg

• reading their recipes always makes me feel as
  if I am right next to them in their kitchens,” says
  Eve Hemingway. “Neither of these accomplished
  cooks ever shies away from flavour, and they
  clearly have a wholehearted understanding of
  slow-cooked, comforting dishes such as this one.
  In her blog, Orangette, Molly includes one of
  Jennifer’s recipes, which she describes as witlof
  swimming in a ‘brothy sauce of their own juices,
  enriched and mellowed with butter, brightened
  with citrus’. This led me to look to more vegetables
  that would benefit from a buttery bath.”

1 Preheat oven to 160ºC. Put

the butter into a large roasting

pan and place in the oven on

the middle shelf so that it melts

and starts to foam.

2 Meanwhile, prepare the

vegetables. Halve the Jerusalem

artichokes, fennel and witlof.

Cut two slits lengthways down

the length of the leeks, starting

halfway up the white part

(leaving them intact at the

base) and continuing to the

end of the green part, so the

leeks fan out easily. Keep the

spring onions whole.

3 Add the artichokes and

fennel to the hot roasting pan,

tossing to thoroughly coat them

in the browning butter. Season

to taste and roast for 45 minutes,

then add the leeks, witlof and

spring onions, basting and

seasoning well. Return

everything to the oven for

another 45 minutes, or until all

the vegetables are golden, soft

and delectable. Squeeze over

the lemon juice to taste, then

serve with crusty bread and

perhaps a little crumbly cheese.