I’m like a thermostat – as soon as the temperatures dip below 20C I turn my oven on and start roasting. It’s a switch I look forward to flipping every year. Time in a hot oven transforms food – concentrating and deepening its flavours, caramelising it and creating crispy surfaces, while cooking gently enough to slowly bring proteins to the perfect temperature. All that and, aside from the occasional toss, once the food is in the oven, it barely needs attention. This recipe showcases how roasting, combined with some stovetop cooking, easily turns everyday ingredients into a spectacularly flavourful, nourishing, autumnal meal.
To start, you place wedges of sweet apple and shallot on a baking tray, toss with a little oil and salt, and cook until they have become soft, sweet and beautifully browned. Adding a splash of balsamic vinegar about 10 minutes before they’re done imbues them with a gently tangy glaze.
