Burnt Rutabaga Planks with Parmesan Broth

Difficulty:
1/5

Ease of Preparation: Easy

Yield: 4 servings

Burnt Rutabaga Slabs with Parmesan Broth

Take the buttery, sweet-savoury flavour of rutabaga, pair it with a rich Parmesan broth and some crispy, crunchy leek greens, and what do you have? A warm, filling winter dish you’ll crave as soon as the mercury drops.

Ingredients:

Parmesan Broth:

  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
  • 1 onion, peeled and cut in half
  • 1 head garlic, cut horizontally
  • 1 bunch thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3-4 sprigs Italian parsley
  • 1 teaspoon (5 ml) black peppercorns
  • 1 cup (240 ml) dry white wine
  • 1 pound (454 grams) Parmesan rinds
  • 8 cups (2 L) water

Rutabaga:

  • 2 pounds (907 grams) rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1-inch/2.5 cm thick rounds (use a 3-inch/7.5 cm ring mold for a nice presentation)
  • ½ cup (120 ml) butter
  • 3-4 sprigs thyme
  • 2-3 sprigs rosemary
  • 1-2 sprigs sage
  • Salt

Crispy Leek Greens:

  • 6 leek leaves, dark green only, washed and julienned
  • Oil, for frying

Special Equipment Needed:

  • Sous-vide/immersion circulator/water bath
  • Blow torch/kitchen torch

 

Method:

For the Parmesan Broth:

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering.

Add the onion, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, parsley, and peppercorns to the oil, stirring often and cooking until the garlic is a deep golden brown and very fragrant, about 3 minutes.

Add the wine to deglaze the pan. Scrape up any browned bits, then bring to a simmer. Reduce by half, about 4 minutes.

Add the Parmesan rinds to the pan, stirring well to coat them in flavour. Add the water and bring to a boil.

Reduce to a simmer, and cook stirring often, until reduced by half, roughly 1 hour.

Skim the fat and strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer and keep warm until needed.

Rutabaga:

Set up the immersion circulator to 180 F (82 C).

Lay the rutabaga slabs flat in a zip-top bag, and add the butter, thyme, rosemary, sage, and season with salt and pepper.

Seal the bag and place it in the circulator for 3 hours.

Open the bag, drain the rutabaga slabs on a wire rack. Discard the herbs.

Crispy Leek Greens:

Make sure the leeks are very dry.

Heat oil in a small saucepan to 300 F (160 C) over medium-high heat.

Drop the leeks into the oil in batches, frying until crisp, about 2-3 minutes.

Drain the leeks on a paper towel-lined plate. Reserve until needed.

To Assemble:

Using a kitchen torch, burn one face side of the rutabaga slabs until blackened.

Pour a small ladleful of warm Parmesan broth into a warmed, shallow serving bowl.

Transfer the rutabaga slab to the center of the bowl, blackened side up.

Garnish the rutabaga with the crispy leek greens and serve immediately.