“A very versatile recipe from Penny Webb, Aga Demonstrator from Leicestershire. It started out as a solution for pleasing everyone’s tastes in vegetables at Christmas without using every pan in the cupboard. It was then adopted by vegetarian friends and is now a family favourite when the tribes descend. It can be made the day before and chilled.”

Ingredients
Serves 4-6

A selection of prepared vegetables to own taste and choice, such as:

•    Carrots, swedes and parsnips in small cubes say 1cmx1cmx1cm (½”x ½”x ½”)
•    Celery in small pieces
•    Green beans 2.5cm (1 inch) in length
•    Red onion roughly chopped
•    Courgettes – 1cm (½ inch) cubes
•    Red pepper – 1cm (½ inch) cubes
•    Broccoli and cauliflower – small florettes – blanched

The following 4 ingredients combine to make the topping:

•    175-225g (6-8 oz) bread crumbs
•    85-115g (3-4 oz) grated cheddar cheese
•    1 small bunch of fresh parsley – chopped
•    1 packet of pine nuts

•    2 tbsp oil
•    55g (2 oz) butter
•    1 x 500ml carton of half fat crème fraîche
•    Black pepper
•    Paprika pepper


Method

Use a large shallow frying pan for cooking the vegetables.

Combine the oil and the butter in pan and heat gently. Select the vegetables according to density – start with the solid root vegetables and stir fry until just beginning to colour, set aside. Put the onions, courgettes and peppers in the pan – and cook for 1
minute. Add the remaining vegetables and cook for 1 minute.  Return the root vegetables to the pan and stir over a high heat to just caramelise slightly.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the crème fraîche, sufficient to coat the vegetables, and then season. Place the coated vegetables in a large shallow ovenproof dish and arrange the breadcrumb topping over the vegetables – dust lightly with paprika.

2, 3 and 4 oven Aga: Place the dish on the grid shelf placed on the floor of the roasting oven and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and gently bubbling.

Alternatively cover the dish, let it cool and then chill for the following day. Cook as above, allowing a longer time as it is cooking from cold.

Conventional cooking: Cook the vegetables on the hob then cook in the oven at 200ºC (400ºF), fan oven 180ºC or Gas Mark 6.