Competing with meat

P eople who like to grumble about vegetarianism will tell you that vegetarian cooking just doesn’t offer the same variety

or isn’t as filling. They might even claim that vegetables are, well, a bit dull. They reserve their real scorn though for the indisputable “fact” that vegetarian dishes are simply not as comforting or luxurious as their meaty counterparts.

Well, any sensible cook will tell you this is nonsense, of course. Sure, it can be hard to persuade die-hard carnivores that anything green could ever compete with meat, but in the hands of a skilled cook, vegetarian dishes can be the equal of meat, poultry or fish on the luxury front.

I mean, what’s not decadent about potatoes dauphinoise, say, bathed and baked in butter and cream?

I suppose, though, it depends on what you think of as luxurious.

We’re hard- wired to associate fats like butter and dairy with richness, but the great stars of vegetarian cooking don’t have to involve dairy – the sheer freshness and perfection of the ingredients, sensitively cooked, is what stands out.

One of the best dishes I’ve ever eaten was a vegan tagine with almonds, olives and carrots, infused to perfection with res el hanout, that north African spice mix which gives dishes a throbbing base note of cinnamon and cloves.

Accompanying it was a salad of flat-leaf parsley, lemon, black pepper and shallots sliced so fine they were transparent. Made with the best-quality vegetables gathered with love from a holiday market, the whole thing was pinging with flavour.

As you can probably tell, I was mulling over this veg versus meat conundrum when I came up with my two recipes for this week. The celery salad has the same zing as the aforementioned parsley salad, although here mint and fennel are the stars of a salad that is as fresh-flavoured as can be.

It seems a little dull on paper, but it takes just minutes to whip up and is always really satisfying in a crunchy way.

But I do have to point out – thanks to a reader – that Parmesan is made using calf rennet, so may not be suitable for vegetarians. If that’s the case, please just substitute your favourite sharp cheese.

The second dish, well, this is my idea of veggie richness, and yes, it uses dairy – cream and cheese to be exact. The proportion of beans, cream and so on seems a bit skewed, but it’s seriously rich and you’ll only eat a little as a side.

Baked in the oven until bubbling and delicious, this white bean gratin is fantastic on its own but, if only meat will do, it would make a tasty foil for a simple, no-nonsense roast chicken.