Vinha d’alhos – Style Vegetables
Portuguese food is new to me, but after cooking this meal I am excited to try many more dishes! This dish is a spin on Vinha d’alhos Pork which is flavored with red wine and garlic. The glaze treatment works great on roasted vegetables and all the crispy crunchy toppings give this completed dish so much textural interest.
Vinha d’alhos – Style Vegetables
Adapted from My Lisbon: A Cookbook from Portugal’s City of Light by Nuno Mendes
For the glaze
2/3 cup red wine
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
3 Tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice, zest first and set aside zest for later
3 garlic cloves
½ tsp cumin seeds
2 ½ Tbsp honey
1 cinnamon stick
For the vegetables
2-3 red onions, cut into thick rings
1 lb parsnips, peeled and halved lengthwise
1 lb carrots, peeled and halved lengthwise
Salt & pepper
1 ¾ ounces walnuts
3 slices day old country bread
2 Tbsp olive oil
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
A small handful of parsley leaves, finely chopped
Extra virgin olive oil, to serve (optional)
1. To make the glaze – Put the glaze ingredients in a pan and cook over medium heat until the honey dissolves. Remove from the heat promptly in order not to reduce the glaze ,as it will reduce while cooking. Set aside.
2. To make the vegetables – Preheat the over to 400F. Put the onions in a baking dish large enough to allow the vegetables room to roast, so as not to steam them. Sit the parsnips and carrots on top of the onions, season with salt and pepper. Pour the glaze over. Roast for 30 minutes basting every 10-15 minutes. Roast 15-30 more minutes depending on how quickly the vegetables soften. Feel free to add a splash or two of red wine vinegar and/or olive oil halfway through the roasting oil.
3. Toast the walnuts in a pan on the stovetop for a few minutes until lightly toasted. As soon as you can smell them toasting they are ready. Set aside to cool and then coarsely chop. In the same pan heat the olive oil, add the bread, and toast for 5 minutes or until crispy and golden. Put the croutons in a bowl and mix in the zests and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Once the vegetables are cooked, if the glaze is too liquid you can simmer it in a pan to reduce and then spoon it back over the vegetables. Sprinkle the walnuts and croutons over the vegetables and add a generous drizzle of olive oil as well as a good sprinkle of salt and pepper.