During covid lockdown times, some people perfected sourdough. My husband and I (well, really my husband) perfected the art of crispy roasted veggies. They delicately shatter in your mouth the way deep-fried veggies do. People will come over and feast on, say, a succulent five-hour-braised pork shoulder and roasted veggies, and then rave about the veggies and want the recipe. There isn’t one. When we make them for ourselves, we stand over the stove snacking on them like they’re potato chips.

There are several little tricks that go into these great roasted veggies, and I’ve included them below. However, one surprises people the most. My husband figured this one out, and I don’t think I’ve seen it anywhere else. Here goes.

Increase the oven temperature towards the end of roasting.

We start roasting the veggies at 375 degrees F. Then, in his words, when you see the vegetables are cooked through and just starting to brown, raise the temperature to 400 degrees F to get them really, really crispy. They will look dark brown (but not black) all over.

Here are his other roasting tips:

• The cut: Cut the veggies into even sizes.
• The oil: Add the cut veggies to a large bowl and coat them in a lot of olive oil. They should be fully coated with no dry spots. However, they should not be dripping excess oil.
• The seasoning: Season them with kosher salt and black pepper and taste a raw veggie to make sure you’ve added enough.
• The baking sheet: Add them to a heavy-duty baking sheet, not one that’s thin and nonstick (which we’ve found makes for soggy results).
• The spacing: It’s tempting to cram the veggies into one baking sheet, but you need to space them out so they are in a single layer, and each piece has some space around it. This allows the hot air to reach each piece and crisp it up.
• Keeping them crispy: Once you take the veggies out of the oven, leave them on the hot baking sheet in a single layer as long as possible to maintain their crunchiness. Don’t let them sit in a serving platter for an extended time.
• Garnishing: Most of the time, we keep it simple. But we’ve also taken it over the top with a drizzle of honey and shower of toasted nuts.

Related Links:

25 Broccoli Recipes You’ll Keep Coming Back To

21 Brussels Sprouts Recipes Everyone Will Love

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