I’ve never hated a vegetable before. Though, I do find canned vegetables more than a little bit offensive. But, I absolutely and utterly hate salsify.
I don’t hate the flavor. That’s fine. It’s rather mild and ordinary. It reminds me of sweet parsnips. On a number of occasions, I’ve read about salsify and it’s so-called exotic flavor of oysters or artichokes. Yeah, ok. Whatever. I’m not seeing it. In reality, it’s very ordinary. And, in my opinion, it is in no way worth the effort it takes to deal with the mess. The mess that I’m referring to is the sap…
The evil sap oozing out of the pores
Now, I’ve already washed this piece. But, almost instantly, it begins oozing another round of very sticky, rubbery, glue-like sap. This sap is truly disgusting. It sticks to everything. And, it’s very hard to remove. My vegetable peeler is still covered in sticky, gooey sap. It’s taking a third go-round in the dishwasher, right now.
Following Food and Wine’s recipe, we ended up with a lovely gratin that is creamy and sweet. In this state, I can see where the comparison comes into play. This could easily be adapted into a sweet veggie chowder. I do detect a very subtle “something” that is reminiscent of sweet seafood… a very diluted sweet clam, possibly. But, it is extremely subtle. I may be kidding myself. I may be trying to convince myself that the time-wasting headache was worth all of the hassle.
Will I ever buy salsify again? Probably not. But, if I do, I will treat it like the toxic substance that it is. Try this recipe… if you dare.
Please excuse the processor-ground cheese… I was too spent to care.
Rich & Creamy Salsify
adapted from Food & Wine’s recipe
1 large Vidalia onion, finely diced
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 Tablespoon olive oil
4 Tablespoons AP flour
1/2 quart whole milk
1 kg salsify (cleaned, washed, cut & soaked in water… drain & soak again)
salt & white pepper, to taste
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly ground
1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely ground
Saute onion in 1 Tablespoon olive oil and 1 Tablespoon butter in a large heavy bottomed stock pot. Saute until tender, but, not caramelized. Add remaining butter. Stir until melted. Add flour and allow to cook briefly. Stir in milk carefully. Be careful to avoid the formation of lumps. When the mixture is smooth and well-combined. Add salsify and grated nutmeg. Bring to a gentle simmer. Allow to simmer for 20-30 minutes. After 20 minutes, preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Pour mixture into a large, shallow casserole dish. Top with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Bake for 20-25 minutes.
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