Salsify in Butter with Capers
Salsify in butter is a very simple yet tasty dish. I blanch the salsify and then sauté them in butter. A little lemon and some capers balance out the flavor. I garnish the dish with curly parsley for color and voilà, a delicious 5-minute side dish is ready.
This dish reminds me of the lunch meals from the cafeteria of my elementary school in France. It was usually served au gratin, but that's another recipe. Before you start thinking that my school served incredibly gourmet food, you should know that while salsify may not be very familiar to many in the US, in France it's down right common. The flavor and texture is similar to leeks or white asparagus, but less fibrous. It's one of my favorite vegetables, and if you give it a try, you'll fall in love with it as well. Given that this it takes about 5 minutes to prepare this recipe, you have no excuse!
Ingredients
Yields: 4 servings
1 (8.81-ounce) can salsify, drained1 yellow onion, sliced
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon capers, drained
1 lemon
1 tablespoon curly parsley, chopped
1/2 teaspoon white pepper, freshly ground
Directions
Prepping the salsify: Blanch the vegetables for about 30 seconds in boiling water, drain and pat dry on a paper towel.
Caramelizing the onions and shallots: Heat the olive oil in a pan. Sauté the onions in the oil over low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent the onion from burning, until the color is evenly golden brown and the onions are tender. Season with salt. Transfer to a platter.
Assembly time:
Zest and juice the lemon. Set them aside separately.
In the same pan, add butter. Add the salsify and toss them in butter to coat them. Season with salt and pepper. Add the caramelized onions, capers, lemon zest and curly parsley. Drizzle with lemon juice.
Easy, huh?
Bon appétit!
Tips
You can substitute canned white asparagus for salsify. You could also use any other winter vegetables such as rutabagas, parsnip, turnip, leek, kale but you'll have to cook them until tender.
I buy them directly from my local store, Crossroads World Market -720 San Antonio Rd -Palo Alto, CA 94303. I love this place. It's a sweet little store. Crossroads Market carries a wide range of European products, but you can also order through Amazon.
For a vegan version, you can substitute vegetable-based margarine for butter.
Published By: on January 26, 2010.
