Roasted Root Vegetables With Onion Confit

Tracey Black, who owns Epicuria Fine Foods and Catering in Ottawa, created this wine-friendly dish with root vegetables. This is a perfect make-ahead dish that re-warms beautifully. I'd pair it with an unoaked chardonnay or a pinot noir.

Makes 4 servings

Onion Confit

2 medium red onions, julienned

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup red wine

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Roast Vegetables

3 carrots cut into long roll cut*

3 parsnips cut into long roll cut*

1 sweet potato, cut into wedges 3 to 4 inches

1 cup onion confit

1 to 2 tablespoons canola oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/4 cup chopped parsley

Start with onion confit, as it will need to cook while vegetables are prepared and roasted.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft, stirring occasionally. Add sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, over medium-low heat until caramelized.

Add red wine and balsamic vinegar and cook at medium-high heat until reduced and dark in color. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Set aside and reheat when ready to serve.

Meanwhile, cut vegetables, ensuring they are similar in size so they will cook at the same rate. Keeping vegetables separate, toss each vegetable with just enough canola oil to lightly coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Place each vegetable on its own parchment-lined baking sheet, and roast until soft. Some vegetables may take slightly longer than others. Remove cooked vegetables, but return them to the oven to re-warm prior to serving.

When everything is ready, toss vegetables, reheated confit and parsley together, season and serve.

*Place on cutting board and take a diagonal slice from the tip. Roll a quarter turn and cut without changing angle of knife. Continue cutting and turning to end. Pieces will have a triangular appearance. This gives the maximum number of cut surfaces for quicker cooking and better penetration of flavors.

Complementary Wines: Pinot Noir

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