How to salt bake vegetables

If you want to intensify the flavours in a vegetable, salt baking is one of the best ways. It's a great way to cook smaller root vegetables, such as carrots and beetroot.

First you need to make a salt dough. This makes enough salt dough for two larger parcels of vegetables (such as a small bunch of carrots), or four beetroots. Mix 625g/1lb 6oz plain flour, 175g/6oz coarse rock salt (or fine salt) and 345g/12oz egg whites and use your hands to bring it all together into a smooth ball of dough.

Flatten the dough slightly and set aside to rest for 30 minutes.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface until it's about the thickness of a pound coin (don't roll too thinly as it's more likely to tear). Cut out portions of the pastry to completely encase your chosen vegetables.

Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7. Bake for 20–35 minutes depending on the size of the vegetables. To test if the vegetables are cooked, insert a skewer through the pastry into the vegetables – if they are cooked it should slide in fairly easily. Once cooked, remove the pastry as soon as it's cool enough to handle (the vegetables will continue to cook inside the pastry).