Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Better Roast Vegetables (6 Techniques + 2 Hacks)
00:00 Intro
00:48 No Shiny Baking Sheets!
02:21 Don’t Wash What You Can’t Dry
03:08 Flat Surfaces Are Your Friends
04:28 Use a Bowl
05:33 Use Lots of Oil
07:02 Oven Temperature and Fan Settings
10:49 Make a Sauce
12:41 Add the Crunchies
How to Season Baking Sheets: youtu.be/hrufGZsP-jo
Sauce:
======
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp olive oil
Option 1: Put all ingredients into a squeeze bottle and shake until completely homogeneous. Option 2: Put all ingredients into a jar and emulsify with a milk frother.
Option 3: Put all ingredients except for oil into a small bowl and mix with a fork until homogeneous. Slowly pour in the oil while whisking until the mixture is thick and smooth. Can be stored in the fridge indefinitely.
Sauce Equipment (these affiliate links help support my channel):
Squeeze Bottles: amzn.to/3QcSEfc
Milk frother: amzn.to/4v5xeRe
Brussels Sprouts:
==============
1.5 Lb brussel sprouts, trimmed (1.25 Lb / 550g after trimming)
3 Tbsp vegetable oil for sprouts + 3 Tbsp for the baking sheet
Preheat the oven to 450F (230C) with a rack in the bottom third.
Cut the sprouts in half and place in a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and drizzle with 3 Tbsp vegetable oil. Mix well. Spread 3 Tbsp oil on a half sheet (13x18”). Place the sprouts cut side down onto the baking sheet, reserve the leaves in the bowl. Place in the oven for 8 min, just until the outer sprouts get a hint of color on the bottom.
Rearrange the sprouts, placing the outer ones that have started to brown toward the middle of the baking sheet and the pale ones from the middle towards the outside of the baking sheet. Sprinkle the leaves and all the oil left in the bowl evenly over the sprouts and roast for 5 min, or just until the leaves are crisp and the sprouts are brown on the bottom.
Broccoli:
=======
1.5 Lb broccoli, trimmed (1.25 Lb / 550g after trimming)
1/3 cup olive oil
Preheat the oven to 450F (230C) with a rack in the bottom third.
Trim the stems. Separate the broccoli into big florets and cut each floret in half (stop cutting when you get close to florets and pull the two pieces apart to avoid making too many crumbs). If you have a thick center stem leftover, peel it and dice. Place all the broccoli pieces into a large bowl, sprinkle with salt and drizzle with olive oil. Mix very well, dunking the broccoli florets into the oil on the bottom of the bowl. They should become bright green and lose their raw grayish color.
Spread the broccoli on a half sheet (13x18”), placing the pieces cut side down. Place in the oven for 10-15 min, just until the bottoms are brown.
Carrots:
======
1.5 Lb carrots, peeled and trimmed (1.25 Lb after peeling and trimming)
1/4 cup olive oil
Preheat the oven to 450F (230C) with a rack in the bottom third.
Cut the carrots into french fry pieces and place in a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt, drizzle with olive oil, and mix well.
Spread the carrots on a half sheet (13x18”), placing the pieces cut side down. Place in the oven for 15 min, just until the bottoms start to brown. If you have a convection fan, turn it on and continue to roast for 5 minutes, or until the tops of the carrots are slightly blistered and brown. If you don’t have a convection fan, stir the carrots and continue to roast for 5 to 10 minutes or until the carrots brown on the other side.
Crunchies and Plating:
=================
1/3 cup fried shallots or fried onions (I like these amzn.to/4dtLFsd)
3 Tbsp toasted salted pumpkin seeds
When your vegetables are nicely roasted, reduce the oven to 400F (200C). Add the pumpkin seeds and shallots and roast 1-2 min, or just until you can get a whiff of the shallots when you bring your face close to the baking sheet. Be careful not to burn them. If they start to get even slightly darker, pull the baking sheet out of the oven immediately.
Drizzle a little sauce on the bottom of a plate. Top with vegetables and drizzle with more sauce.
Join my Patreon Community for free to get video notifications:
patreon.com/helenrennie
My cooking classes in the Boston area:
helenrennie.com
INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/helen.rennie
Better Roast Vegetables (6 Techniques + 2 Hacks)
00:00 Intro
00:48 No Shiny Baking Sheets!
02:21 Don’t Wash What You Can’t Dry
03:08 Flat Surfaces Are Your Friends
04:28 Use a Bowl
05:33 Use Lots of Oil
07:02 Oven Temperature and Fan Settings
10:49 Make a Sauce
12:41 Add the Crunchies
How to Season Baking Sheets: youtu.be/hrufGZsP-jo
Sauce:
======
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp olive oil
Option 1: Put all ingredients into a squeeze bottle and shake until completely homogeneous. Option 2: Put all ingredients into a jar and emulsify with a milk frother.
Option 3: Put all ingredients except for oil into a small bowl and mix with a fork until homogeneous. Slowly pour in the oil while whisking until the mixture is thick and smooth. Can be stored in the fridge indefinitely.
Sauce Equipment (these affiliate links help support my channel):
Squeeze Bottles: amzn.to/3QcSEfc
Milk frother: amzn.to/4v5xeRe
Brussels Sprouts:
==============
1.5 Lb brussel sprouts, trimmed (1.25 Lb / 550g after trimming)
3 Tbsp vegetable oil for sprouts + 3 Tbsp for the baking sheet
Preheat the oven to 450F (230C) with a rack in the bottom third.
Cut the sprouts in half and place in a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and drizzle with 3 Tbsp vegetable oil. Mix well. Spread 3 Tbsp oil on a half sheet (13x18”). Place the sprouts cut side down onto the baking sheet, reserve the leaves in the bowl. Place in the oven for 8 min, just until the outer sprouts get a hint of color on the bottom.
Rearrange the sprouts, placing the outer ones that have started to brown toward the middle of the baking sheet and the pale ones from the middle towards the outside of the baking sheet. Sprinkle the leaves and all the oil left in the bowl evenly over the sprouts and roast for 5 min, or just until the leaves are crisp and the sprouts are brown on the bottom.
Broccoli:
=======
1.5 Lb broccoli, trimmed (1.25 Lb / 550g after trimming)
1/3 cup olive oil
Preheat the oven to 450F (230C) with a rack in the bottom third.
Trim the stems. Separate the broccoli into big florets and cut each floret in half (stop cutting when you get close to florets and pull the two pieces apart to avoid making too many crumbs). If you have a thick center stem leftover, peel it and dice. Place all the broccoli pieces into a large bowl, sprinkle with salt and drizzle with olive oil. Mix very well, dunking the broccoli florets into the oil on the bottom of the bowl. They should become bright green and lose their raw grayish color.
Spread the broccoli on a half sheet (13x18”), placing the pieces cut side down. Place in the oven for 10-15 min, just until the bottoms are brown.
Carrots:
======
1.5 Lb carrots, peeled and trimmed (1.25 Lb after peeling and trimming)
1/4 cup olive oil
Preheat the oven to 450F (230C) with a rack in the bottom third.
Cut the carrots into french fry pieces and place in a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt, drizzle with olive oil, and mix well.
Spread the carrots on a half sheet (13x18”), placing the pieces cut side down. Place in the oven for 15 min, just until the bottoms start to brown. If you have a convection fan, turn it on and continue to roast for 5 minutes, or until the tops of the carrots are slightly blistered and brown. If you don’t have a convection fan, stir the carrots and continue to roast for 5 to 10 minutes or until the carrots brown on the other side.
Crunchies and Plating:
=================
1/3 cup fried shallots or fried onions (I like these amzn.to/4dtLFsd)
3 Tbsp toasted salted pumpkin seeds
When your vegetables are nicely roasted, reduce the oven to 400F (200C). Add the pumpkin seeds and shallots and roast 1-2 min, or just until you can get a whiff of the shallots when you bring your face close to the baking sheet. Be careful not to burn them. If they start to get even slightly darker, pull the baking sheet out of the oven immediately.
Drizzle a little sauce on the bottom of a plate. Top with vegetables and drizzle with more sauce.
Join my Patreon Community for free to get video notifications:
patreon.com/helenrennie
My cooking classes in the Boston area:
helenrennie.com
INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/helen.rennie
