Crispy Brown Rice With Deeply Roasted Broccoli, Carrots & Turnips

Up to 24 hours ahead, rinse the rice and soak in a bowl of cool water for 2 hours. Drain. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it lightly (about 1 tsp per quart) add the rice and boil until it is fully tender but not too 'exploded' – about 45-60 minutes.

Drain thoroughly, tapping the sieve to shake out as much water as possible. Spread the rice on a large tray and let it dry completely at room temperature. If you won’t be using it in the next 2 hours, cover and refrigerate. Line a sheet pan with paper towels and put it near the stove.

Pour a couple of inches of vegetable oil into a large heavy-bottomed pan that is deep enough to not worry about spillovers during frying. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it’s about 185°C (365°F). Working in batches, carefully add some cooked rice to the oil and fry until the rice grains puff slightly and get a bit darker. Scoop the rice out of the oil with a slotted spoon and transfer to the lined sheet pan. Season lightly with salt, and set aside. Continue to puff the remaining rice.

Heat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Put the broccoli in a large bowl, drizzle with olive oil, season lightly with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Spread onto a sheet pan. Repeat with the carrots and turnips, but try to keep them separate on the baking sheet in case one cooks more quickly than the other.

Roast the vegetables until they are tender and nicely browned – charred is even better – around the edges, about 30 minutes. The broccoli will probably finish first, but it all depends on the vegetables. You may need to switch the pans from one oven rack to the other. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with the vinegar, and let cool to room temperature. When ready to serve, pile all the vegetables in a large bowl and season lightly with a generous pinch of dried chilli flakes and more salt and pepper.

Toss in the cashews, scallions, parsley, and cilantro and toss to mix. Add about 80 ml of the vinaigrette (recipe below). Toss, taste, and adjust the seasoning with more salt, black pepper, chilli flakes, or vinegar. Add the crispy rice, toss once more, and serve right away.

To make the vinaigrette, put the garlic and oil in a very small saucepan – the oil needs to cover the garlic so it softens evenly. If it’s your smallest pan and the oil is still not covering, use more oil; you’ll have plenty of lovely garlicky oil to use in all sorts of dishes.

Heat the oil over medium heat until you see little bubbles emerge from the garlic, then quickly reduce the heat too low; you don’t want the garlic to brown. Cover the pan and cook the garlic slowly until it is completely soft, about 1 hour, depending on the size and freshness of your garlic. If you see the garlic darkening past golden brown, reduce the heat or pull the pan off the burner for a few minutes. Let it cool.

Using a rasp-style grater, zest the orange into a small bowl. Cut in half and squeeze out the juice; you want about 120ml. Fish out any seeds. Whisk in the vinegar, honey, salt, and a few twists of black pepper.

Pour the orange mixture into a food processor. Reserving the garlic oil, drain the garlic cloves and add them to the food processor. Process until smooth. Measure out 120ml of the reserved garlic oil (if you don’t have the full half a cup, supplement with plain olive oil). With the machine running, pour in the oil. Taste and adjust with more vinegar, honey, salt, or pepper. The dressing should be fruity, lightly garlicky, and not too sharp. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.