Need a Rack for Your Roast? Grab Some Veggies!
Metal racks come in all shapes and sizes; oval, concave, square, rectangular – you name it, they have it to fit any roasting pan. But they are a pain in the tush to clean. Why not add some flavor and skip washing the "dish?"
I’m all for skipping the need to wash another dish, believe me – I’m the chief bottle washer.
Grab some carrots, onions, celery, and bell peppers. You can be adventurous and add some parsnips, turnips, or radishes. Take it another step and you can add some of the same herbs and spices that are flavoring the meat right to the veggie rack too. Your liquid can be water, stock or your favorite wine. Quantity varies, but I usually add 1/2 to 1 cup, enough to get everything wet. If you’re roasting a dryer meat, add more so the vegetables don’t dry out. Then follow your usual roasting method or follow the recipe.
Adding vegetables not only adds flavor to the meat, they add flavor and body to the drippings so you can make some really delicious gravy. You can either strain the vegetables out or emulsify them with a hand or counter top blender.
This is also a great way to use up those vegetables that have been sitting in the fridge one day too long to use in a recipe, yet still have a little life to give (Don’t use any rotten ones please!). They may have some wrinkles or a few bad spots to cut away, but they can still provide you with flavor.
Keep this in mind when it comes time to roast that turkey this Thanksgiving Day!