Monday, May 14, 2007

Black Salsify With Parsley Essence Bechamel


Black salsify is actually a variety known as scorzonera. Looking like a tidy bundle of bark covered twigs, the bunch yielded about two cups of cooked vegetable. Because salsify/scorzonera discolour quickly, drop the pieces into a bowl with water and a bit of lemon juice until you are ready to cook them.

I steamed them until tender as everything I read indicated that they can go from a lovely vegetable to inedible pulp rather quickly if boiled. After steaming until tender, I placed them in a casserole dish to cool until I was ready to serve. I simply re-heated them in the microwave and tossed with a béchamel/parsley essence sauce.

For the record, I did not detect any flavour one would call marine, oyster, or otherwise. Some people think they taste like asparagus or artichoke hearts-but I didn’t get that either. In fact, they didn’t taste like much of anything, and other than the novelty of the item, I can’t imagine making them again. I didn’t dislike them, but for the price, there are more interesting vegetables I’d rather have.

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