Best Root Vegetable Purée Recipes

PROSCIUTTO WRAPPED PORK TENDERLOIN WITH A GRANNY SMITH APPLE GASTRIQUE AND CRIMINI MUSHROOM POTATO PUREE AND ROOT VEGETABLE MELANGE AND APPLE FRISEE SALAD WITH CARROT OIL

Steps:

• Slice the pork tenderloin into 12 (1-inch) pieces, and season with salt and pepper. Cut the prosciutto slices in 1/2, lengthwise, and wrap 1 slice around each piece of pork and secure with a toothpick. Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a saute pan until hot. Add pork medallions and saute for 2 to3 minutes on each side until internal temperature registers 155 degrees F. Set aside.
• Gastrique: Heat a large, heavy pan over medium-high heat. Add sugar to the pan and cook until the sugar browns. Carefully add cider vinegar (it will steam a great deal, watch your hand). Add apple trimmings, juice, fresh thyme and stock. Let the sauce simmer until it reduces to 1 cup; skim any foam that rises to the top, then season with salt and pepper. You may need to add 1 teaspoon more vinegar at the end to add a little sparkle for taste. Swirl in butter until incorporated.
• Start potatoes in cold salted water, bring to a boil and turn the heat down to a low simmer. Allow the potatoes to cook until they are tender, drain well and puree.
• Saute the mushrooms in 1 tablespoon of butter until soft, add garlic, then season with salt and pepper. Add heavy cream and 1/4 cup butter to the mushroom mixture and bring to a boil. Puree the mixture in a blender until smooth. Fold into the potato puree and season with salt and pepper.
• Saute the leeks in butter, in a medium pan, until they are soft. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add vegetables to the pot, 1 at a time, and cook until tender. Let them drain well and add all vegetables to the saute pan with the leeks, except the beets. Toss the vegetables in butter until heated through, and then season with salt and pepper and fresh herbs. Toss in beets just to heat.
• Toss all ingredients together in a medium bowl and let it sit for approximately 15 minutes.
• Combine all of the ingredients in a blender until smooth, then season with salt and pepper. Use as a garnish to decorate the plate.

AUTUMN ROOT VEGETABLE PURéE

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, combine the turnips, carrots, parsnip, sweet potato, and rutabaga, add a good pinch of salt, and cover by 2 inches with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the vegetables are tender, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Drain the vegetables and then return them to the saucepan to dry out over medium heat for 2 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a food mill and puree. Add the butter and salt and pepper to taste, and reheat if necessary before serving.

ROOT VEGETABLE PUREE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Brush the carrots, parsnips, turnip and sweet potato with the olive oil and place the vegetables on a large baking sheet. Roast until tender, about 30-45 minutes, turning frequently. Set aside to cool.
• Peel the sweet potato. Finely chop all of the roasted vegetables and transfer to a large saucepan.
• Add the celery root, mace, nutmeg, thyme, broth and Sherry vinegar. Bring to a boil and simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes. Transfer to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Add the salt and pepper. Serve with the veal shanks.

MARBLEIZED ROOT VEGETABLE PURéE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 2-quart baking dish. Cook potatoes, turnips, parsnips and pear in large pot of boiling salted water until very tender, about 20 minutes. Drain. Return to pot. Stir over low heat until excess moisture evaporates, about 1 minute. Add cream and 5 tablespoons butter and mash until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, cook carrots in another large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain. Transfer to processor. Add 2 tablespoons butter and 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
• Alternate potato and carrot purees by 1/2 cupfuls in baking dish. Draw knife through purees to marbleize. Melt 1 tablespoon butter. Drizzle over purees. Sprinkle with additional nutmeg. Cover with foil. (Can be made 1 day ahead; chill.) Bake covered puree until heated through, about 35 minutes (or 45 minutes if chilled).

ROOT VEGETABLE PURéE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan cover rutabagas and carrots with salted water. Bring water to a boil and simmer, covered, until vegetables are very tender, 40 to 50 minutes.
• While rutabagas and carrots are simmering, peel potatoes and cut into 1/4-inch pieces. In another large saucepan cover potatoes with salted water. Bring water to a boil and simmer potatoes, covered, until tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Drain rutabagas and carrots well in a large sieve and in a food processor puree until smooth. Drain potatoes well in sieve and force through a ricer or food mill fitted with a medium disk into a large bowl. Stir in rutabaga-carrot puree, butter, and salt and pepper to taste and combine well. Puree may be 3 days ahead and chilled, covered. Reheat puree before serving.

STOUT-BRAISED LAMB SHANKS RECIPE WITH ROOT VEGETABLE PUREE

Steps:

• Coat the outside of the lamb shanks liberally with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the oil just begins to smoke, brown the shanks on all sides in batches, about 10 minutes per batch. Remove shanks and set aside.
• Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil and drippings. Add the shallots and mushrooms to the pot and cook until just starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, carrots, and tomato paste and cook 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour in the stout beer and use a spatula to scrape up all of the brown bits in the bottom of the pot.
• Return the shanks to the pot and pour in the beef stock. Turn the heat to high and bring the liquid to a simmer. Tie the herb sprigs into a bundle with butcher twine and add them to the pot.
• When the liquid comes to a heavy simmer, lower the heat to medium-low and cover. Cook for 2½ hours, turning the shanks halfway through, or until the meat is almost falling off the bone. Remove the shanks and set aside.
• For the root vegetable puree: add the root vegetables to a large pot of lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil. Cook, uncovered, for about 30 minutes or until the vegetables have softened. Drain the vegetables well and return them to the pot.
• Using an electric beater or immersion blender puree the vegetables until smooth. If desired, mix in 2 tablespoons whole milk or unsalted butter to provide a creamier texture. Add salt and pepper to taste and fold in the chives. Set aside until ready to serve.
• To finish the lamb: Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the sauce to a boil. Remove the herb bundle and discard. Turn off the heat and add the 2 tablespoons of butter, stirring until melted.
• Serve the shanks over the root vegetable puree and top with a spoonful of sauce.

ROOT VEGETABLE AND SQUASH PURéE

Steps:

• Butter 10- to 12-cup casserole. Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Peel and seed squash and cut into 1-inch cubes. Peel remaining vegetables and cut into 1-inch cubes. Peel remaining vegetables and cut into 1-inch cubes. Add vegetables and bay leaves to boiling water; cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Drain vegetables. Discard bay leaves.
• Puree half of vegetables in processor with half of butter and half of cream, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally. Transfer puree to bowl. Repeat with remaining vegetables, butter and cream. Transfer to same bowl. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Transfer puree to prepared casserole. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before continuing.)
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake puree until heated and beginning to brown on top, about 45 minutes. Serve hot.

PARSNIP OR ROOT VEGETABLE PURéE

Steps:

• Any number of root vegetables can be used to make this purée. Parsnips alone make a sweet purée with a lovely creamy yellow color. Turnips cook quickly and make a loose nutty purée. Carrots, celery root, rutabagas, and kohlrabi can all be turned into a purée as well. Peel and cut the vegetables into large pieces. Cook in salted boiling water until tender. Purée in a food mill and enrich with butter, cream, or olive oil. Celery root and turnips, cut into smaller pieces, can be cooked in butter or olive oil, covered, over low heat without any water. Stir often and lower the heat if the pan starts to scorch.
• A purée may be made from a combination of root vegetables; celery root, carrots, and rutabagas make a delicious combination, and turnips and kohlrabi are also nice together. Puréed potatoes are especially tasty mixed with celery root or parsnip purée. When making combination purées it is best to cook the vegetables separately since they all require different cooking times. They can then be puréed together.