Salsifis à la Crème

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •4-quart nonreactive saucepan
• •12-inch wide sauté pan
• •Vegetable peeler
• •Slotted spoon
• •Parchment paper for a cartouche

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the blanc

   Whisk the flour with 1 cup of the cold water in a wide, nonreactive saucepan until perfectly smooth. Add the remaining water, the lemon juice, and 3 teaspoons of the salt. The blanc will look cloudy. It is exactly right. Scrub the salsify, put on gloves if you dislike its sticky sap, then peel one root at a time, trim the ends, and cut it into 3-inch lengths. Halve any very thick pieces lengthwise and drop each piece directly into the blanc before peeling the next; exposed salsify darkens quickly.

   Have the blanc waiting before the first root is peeled. Lemon rubbed on darkened pieces cannot fully reverse oxidation, but immediate immersion prevents it.
2. 2

   Poach the salsify

   Lay a cartouche, a round of parchment paper, directly on the liquid to keep the pieces submerged. Bring the blanc slowly to a bare simmer, whisking gently near the bottom as it heats so the flour does not settle and catch. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the roots' thickness, until a small knife enters the centre with only a breath of resistance. Keep the simmer quiet. A hard boil breaks the tender pieces and churns the flour onto them.

3. 3

   Drain and dry

   Lift the salsify from the blanc with a slotted spoon rather than pouring out the pot, which would wash the flour sediment over the roots. Let it drain in a colander, then spread it on a clean kitchen towel and blot carefully. Leave it uncovered for 5 minutes so the surface dries. This pause matters: wet roots dilute the cream, and diluted cream refuses to cling.

4. 4

   Finish in cream

   Melt the butter in a wide sauté pan over medium heat. When its foam quiets but before it browns, add the salsify in one layer and turn it gently for 3 to 4 minutes, just until a few edges take on a pale butter-gold colour. Pour in the cream, holding back the reserved 2 tablespoons, and bring it to a lively simmer. Shake the pan and turn the roots carefully as the cream reduces, 5 to 8 minutes. Season with the remaining salt and the white pepper. The sauce is ready when it leaves a clean wake behind the spoon and coats every piece without puddling. If the roots are tender while the cream remains thin, lift them into a warm dish and reduce the cream alone. If it becomes tight or oily, take the pan off the heat and swirl in the reserved cold cream a spoonful at a time. Ça se rattrape.

5. 5

   Serve at once

   Return the salsify to the pan if you removed it, roll every piece once through the glaze, and taste for salt. Transfer it to a warmed shallow serving dish, scraping the clinging cream over the roots. Serve immediately beside roast poultry, veal, or ham. The sauce should gleam on the salsify, not collect beneath it. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose firm, straight roots with taut beige skin. Limp roots have already lost moisture and become fibrous; no amount of cream can restore what the market has taken away.
• •Black salsify is scorzonera, a close culinary cousin rather than the same vegetable. It may be prepared by this method, but its flavour is sweeter and less mineral, and its dark skin makes the peeling rather more dramatic.
• •When fresh salsify is unavailable, good jarred or canned salsify is the classical pantry's honest answer. Drain it well, rinse away the packing liquid, dry it thoroughly, and begin with the butter finish; it is already tender, so handle it gently.
• •Use heavy cream, not light cream, and butter, not margarine. The higher fat content lets the sauce reduce to a stable glaze instead of turning watery or grainy. We don't apologize for butter.
• •For wine, pour a dry Chenin Blanc or a restrained white Burgundy. Both have enough freshness to meet the cream without trampling the salsify's delicate oyster-like flavour.

Advance Preparation

• •The salsify can be peeled and poached up to one day ahead. Cool it in enough blanc to keep it covered, refrigerate in a shallow covered container, then drain and dry it thoroughly before the butter finish.
• •Measure the butter, cream, salt, and pepper before guests arrive. The final sauté and reduction take about 10 minutes and are best done immediately before serving.
• •Leftovers keep covered in the refrigerator for up to two days. Reheat them gently with a spoonful of cream, shaking the pan rather than stirring so the roots stay whole.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 220g)