‘Low and slow’ works for more than just meat

Read any modern vegetable recipe and you’re likely to see words like char, sear, and roast – all high heat methods. This reflects the current emphasis on treating vegetables like meat as many people embrace a more vegetable-centric diet. But just as many meats benefit from ‘low and slow’ cooking, so can vegetables, says indexed magazine Bon Appétit.

Don’t worry, the magazine isn’t advocating boiling your vegetables to death. Instead, they suggest “dry roasting that veg with a little olive oil, a good sprinkle of salt, and a sprinkle of chile flakes for good measure-in a 250° degree oven until the exterior gets all shrivel-y and the interior takes on a delicate, custard-like texture.” The goal is to concentrate the natural flavors of the vegetables instead of adding flavor with char. 

Just as with braises and stews, patience is rewarded. It may take an hour and a half to slow-roast fresh carrots, but you end up with a “beautifully concentrated sweetness.” Likewise, it can take up to two and a half hours for a halved head of cauliflower to become tender, “but the result-moist, rich, deeply satisfying-is worth the wait.”