Roasted Salsify with Grapefruit Pomegranate Jam

If you have not tried salsify before: then I would say that cooked salsify roots taste kind of like fresh parsnips and white asparagùs. Or at least something in between them. You can find salsify root also under the name of vegetable oyster or oyster plant.

Jam:
1 grapefruit, diced
1 pomegranate, halved, half of the seeds removed, set aside, juice squeezed out of the remaining half
preserving sugar (75 g)

Salsify:
salsify (600 g)
2 Tbsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
¼ tsp. sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground

Garnish:
2 Tbsp. chervil, finely chopped
¼ tsp. sea salt

Preheat an oven to 400°F (200°C/180°C fan, Gas Mark 6). Place an oven rack in the centre of an oven.

Make the Jam:
In a pan, mix the diced grapefruit with the resulting juice, pomegranate juice, preserving sugar and water, bring to the boil, then boil fast for about 4 minutes, set aside.

Prepare the Salsify:
Thoroughly scrub the salsify under cold running water using steel wool, cut in half and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Drizzle with lemon juice and oil, mix and season.

Roast the Salsify:
In a preheated oven, roast the salsify for about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, spread the jam over the salsify and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

For the Garnishes:
Sprinkle the reserved pomegranate seeds, chervil and fleur de sel over the salsify.

Serve with boiled potatoes or bread.

Makes 4 servings.