A vegetable isn't automatically a side dish.
For some reason we're willing to spend twelve hours cooking a piece of pork, then tip the vegetables into boiling water until they've given up every interesting quality they ever had. Try showing a carrot some proper heat. It has sweetness, texture and a decent amount of personality — provided you don't cook it into submission.
What's worth putting over the coals?
Autumn and winter: carrots, parsnips, beetroot, celeriac, squash, red onions, sprouts and cabbage. Roots want time; sprouts and sliced cabbage want enough heat to brown the cut surfaces before the middle turns soft.
Spring: young carrots, leeks, asparagus, spring onions and tender greens. These need a shorter cook and benefit from lemon, butter or herbs at the end.
Summer: courgettes, aubergines, peppers, sweetcorn and tomatoes. Cut generous pieces so they don't disappear between the grates; use a grill basket or cast iron for smaller pieces.
A basic tray or cast-iron recipe, serves four.
- 1 kg / 2¼ lb seasonal vegetables, trimmed into roughly even pieces
- 2–3 tbsp olive oil; 1 tsp fine salt; freshly ground pepper
- 2 garlic cloves; a few rosemary or thyme sprigs, optional
- 1–2 tbsp lemon juice or cider vinegar for finishing
- A spoon of yoghurt or mustard dressing, optional
- Choose similar cook times. Small parsnips and carrot batons can share a tray. Big beetroot and thin asparagus should not. If mixing, start the tougher ingredients earlier.
- Dry and season. Moisture on the surface delays browning. Toss with just enough oil to coat, then salt and pepper. Save delicate herbs and citrus until the end.
- Roast or cook indirectly. Use a 200–220°C / 390–425°F oven or covered barbecue, with the pan safely away from direct flame. Roast root vegetables roughly 30–50 minutes, turning once or twice; quicker vegetables may need 10–25 minutes. Use colour, tenderness and the actual size of the pieces, not a universal timetable.
- Finish hot if needed. Move larger pieces briefly to a controlled direct heat zone for char without incineration. Vegetables should be properly cooked and piping hot; follow the cooking instructions for any frozen items.
- Add the contrast. A squeeze of lemon, sharp vinegar, yoghurt with garlic or a spoonful of mustard dressing does more for sweet roasted roots than another fifteen minutes of smoke.
Char isn't the same as burnt.
A dark edge on a wedge of squash can taste magnificent. A completely blackened piece of parsnip tastes like a mistake, because it is. The trick is getting the middle tender while encouraging enough browning outside. A two-zone barbecue handles that beautifully: cook the thick vegetables indirectly, then finish near the coals for colour.
Acid is what makes these vegetables come alive. Sweet carrots and squash benefit from mustard or cider vinegar; rich aubergine takes lemon and garlic; charred cabbage loves something sharp and salty. Without that contrast you can end up with a plate full of perfectly roasted but relentlessly sweet vegetables.
Three combinations worth remembering.
Cold weather: roast carrots and parsnips with thyme, finish with mustard and cider vinegar. Spring: char leeks or asparagus briefly, add lemon and a small amount of melted butter. Late summer: blacken the skins of peppers, roast aubergine until silky, then add chopped parsley and a punchy vinegar dressing.
Try a lidded Dutch oven for large wedges of squash that need gentle softening before browning. But be aware that trapped steam makes vegetables tender rather than crisp. Remove the lid and turn up the heat near the end.
A good plate of vegetables doesn't need a lecture about their moral superiority. Put them beside ribs or let them be the main event. If they taste this good, nobody needs persuading.