How often do you use the middle rack of your oven? If you are like most people, it is your go-to option and you only ever use the bottom rack if you run out of room. What you may not know is that there is a feature built into the oven that you should know about and should be using.
In the book, Bowls of Plenty, by Carolynn Carreño, she talks about the trick that she learned from a chef friend. He was using ovens that were a lot more powerful than the ones that we use for cooking at home. If you want to char your vegetables to perfection without having soggy insides, then this tip is for you.
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Carolynn has the following to say: “The oven floor provides the hottest, most even and direct heat possible, which means you can get your vegetables nice and caramelized without overcooking them.”
Her recommendation is that you have two pans of vegetables going, one on the floor of the oven and the other in the middle rack. Set the temperature to 500°F for 20 minutes. Halfway through, switch the position of the pans and you will end up with perfectly roasted vegetables every time.
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Of course, you should check with the owner’s manual of your oven to make sure that a heavy tray can be placed on the bottom. If you can’t place it directly on the bottom surface of the oven, then you can position the rack as close to the bottom as possible. It’s a tip that is well worth trying!