Braised Lotus Root

We’re very fortunate to have several large Asian supermarkets in York. Last Saturday we ventured into town to gather a few bits and bobs we couldn’t get at the smaller local Asian shop. So the next few recipes use a selection of more traditional ingredients.

Ingredients:-

300g of fresh Lotus Root
3 Tbsp of Spirit Vinegar
½ Tbsp of Salt

Sauce Ingredients:-

230ml of Water
10 Tbsp of Soy Sauce (Gluten free for us)
5 Tbsp of Honey
7 Tbsp of Sugar
Sesame Seeds to dress

Method:-

(1) Peel the Lotus Roof and cut into 1/4” slices.
(2) In a large pan cover the slices with water and add the Salt and Vinegar.
(3) Bring to the boil and slimmer for 10 minutes. Don’t worry about the pond smell, it soon dissipates!
(4) Drain and set aside.
(5) Mix the Sauce ingredients.
(6) In a large pan heat the Sauce and add the Lotus Root pieces.
(7) Bring to the boil while continuously stirring to prevent sticking.
(8) Reduce the heat and simmer for a further 20 minutes while continuously stirring. The Sauce will reduce to a thick syrup.
(9) Lift the Lotus Roof from the pan and spoon a little of the Sauce over them.
(10) Chill in the fridge until ready to serve.
(11) Garnish with Sesame Seeds and serve as a side.

These were a little too sweet for us, but we tend to prefer savoury dishes. The texture was really good though.