This keto-friendly vegetable side dish features salsify, a delicately flavoured root vegetable popular in the Victorian times. Here it is served with sauteed cabbage, crispy bacon and lashings of double cream.
Fill a bowl with warm water and add the lemon juice.
Peel the salsify, top and tail the ends and cut into 5 cm sticks. Place immediately in the bowl of lemon water to prevent discolouration while you peel and chop the rest of the salsify. Halve or quarter any larger roots, so the pieces are all around the same size.
Drain the salsify and place in a large pan of cold water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes, until tender. Alternatively, steam the vegetable to retain more of the flavour.
Meanwhile, heat the butter in a saute pan, chop the bacon and fry for a few minutes, until it begins to brown.
Chop the cabbage into small pieces and add to the buttery bacon. Saute for five minutes or so, until it wilts. You might need to add a little splash of water to help it cook and to deglaze the pan.
Drain the cooked salsify and return to the heat for a few minutes to evaporate any extra moisture.
Add the bacon and cabbage mixture to the cooked salsify, and pour over the double cream. Stir to coat well. Season to taste.
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Notes
Puree the salsify after cooking to make a low carb mashed potato alternative! Stir in some of the cooked cabbage, bacon and cream to make a low carb salsify 'colcannon'.