Author: Thomas Sixt is a chef, food photographer, cookbook author and blogger. Here he shares recipes, answers cooking questions and helps with cooking.
The black salsify is regionally also called winter asparagus, miner’s asparagus and asparagus of the poor man.
The season for this delicious root vegetable is from October to May. The striking dark roots contain vitamins E, A, C and various B vitamins.
They also contain the minerals potassium, magnesium, calcium and iron. The root also contains the fibre inulin, which supports the fat metabolism and harmonises the intestinal flora.
The wild black salsify was used in early times as a medicinal plant against the plague and snake bites. The vegetables originate from Southern Europe and have been cultivated here since 1700.
The root vegetable tastes excellent in butter glazed and is a great side dish to braised roast, duck and goose.
Today I recommend you to perform like a surgeon in your kitchen! Since the black salsifies stick terribly when peeling, rubber gloves are a recommendable equipment!
Below you will find the detailed instructions with step by step photos.
The black salsifies need special treatment… please peel with gloves and always place the peeled roots in lemon water. This keeps the vegetables white and looks like asparagus!
To make you look like a professional in the kitchen, here is the quick guide for “without despair”…
Please get rubber gloves and put them on.
Fill a large bowl or a roaster with water and add plenty of lemon juice.
Peel the black salsifies and place in the lemon water.
Clean the peeler and peel the roots again finely in a second pass.
We don’t need brown black salsifies… Please soak the peeled roots in lemon water!
Peel salsify with gloves because the root is sticky.
You can peel black salsify like asparagus. The vegetable is known as the poor man’s asparagus.
Soak the peeled salsify in lemon water to keep the white color.
4. Preparing Simple Black Salsify Vegetables
You can combine your finely chopped vegetables with different ingredients.
Butter or margarine to sweat on
Salt, pepper, nutmeg and cayenne pepper and finally some sugar for seasoning
You can use cream optionally
For the herbs I recommend thyme, parsley and chervil.
White truffle oil fits wonderfully…
My favourite variant is brown butter, the nutty taste harmonises perfectly with the vegetables.
Cut the peeled salsify into thin slices at an angle.
5. What goes with Black Salsify Vegetables
This delicious winter vegetable goes excellently with the following dishes
Below you can write to me directly. Please don’t forget the star rating on the recipe, 5 stars means you liked it!
Hi Thomas!
This recipe was delicious! We grew some salsify in the garden for the first time, just out of curiosity, and had no real idea what to do with it. The method here was scrumptious- savory, a little sweet, a little spicy. We used a sprinkle of truffle salt rather than the oil, it was a good substitute.
Danke schön! Rich
Hi Rich,
That sounds like a good harvest. I appreciate your positive feedback and thank you for it.
Hi Thomas!
This recipe was delicious! We grew some salsify in the garden for the first time, just out of curiosity, and had no real idea what to do with it. The method here was scrumptious- savory, a little sweet, a little spicy. We used a sprinkle of truffle salt rather than the oil, it was a good substitute.
Danke schön! Rich