As Nick from Bagthorpe Farm says ‘parsnips are not carrots’.How well observed. Maybe not as popular as carrots, their trademark creamy, sweet, rooty flavour epitomises winter eating. If you’re asking yourself how to prepare parsnips or how to cook parsnips, you’re in the right place.
What on earth to do with parsnips
Slow coach
Draw out the natural sweetness by slow roasting. Set the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas 4. Scrub the parsnips well, or peel them. Halve, quarter or cut into chunks. Add a splash of oil to a roasting tin. Let it warm in the oven for a few mins. Add the parsnips, season and stir so the oil coats them. Cook until golden - about 45 mins to 1 hr. Add fresh thyme, rosemary or sage at the end if you have some. Lovely with a roast.
Speedy Gonzales
If you’re hungry (or impatient!), a quick sizzle does the trick. Chop up your snips (chip-like batons work well). Put some oil and veg in a pan and sizzle for a few moments. (Covering speeds up the process.) Once tender, take the lid off and
let them crisp up a bit. Finish with a drizzle of honey and a scattering of
herbs. Lovely with white fish.
Do the mashed parsnip
Parsnips add a creamy sweetness to mashed spuds. Pop peeled and diced parsnip pieces into the pot with your spuds and mash them all together when cooked (and drained). Add some butter and a grating of nutmeg. Groovy!
Crispy snips
Snips make amazing crisps. Get a pot of sunflower oil on a high heat. Peel the snips. Then use the veggie peeler to slice off long strands. Add in small batches to the oil. Remove with a slotted spoon. Add a bit of salt to get that delicious sweet-salty thing going on.
Bacon!
Parsnips are delicious in stews and risottos, and they're great with bacon. Just dice them up – small for risotto, bigger for soup. Follow your favourite recipe and sizzle bacon at the onion stage, and add pumpkin a bit later.
Serve up some parsnips as part of your Christmas Dinner.
Order a Christmas Fruit & Veg Box here
Draw out the natural sweetness by slow roasting. Set the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas 4. Scrub the parsnips well, or peel them. Halve, quarter or cut into chunks. Add a splash of oil to a roasting tin. Let it warm in the oven for a few mins. Add the parsnips, season and stir so the oil coats them. Cook until golden - about 45 mins to 1 hr. Add fresh thyme, rosemary or sage at the end if you have some. Lovely with a roast.
Speedy Gonzales
If you’re hungry (or impatient!), a quick sizzle does the trick. Chop up your snips (chip-like batons work well). Put some oil and veg in a pan and sizzle for a few moments. (Covering speeds up the process.) Once tender, take the lid off and
let them crisp up a bit. Finish with a drizzle of honey and a scattering of
herbs. Lovely with white fish.
Do the mashed parsnip
Parsnips add a creamy sweetness to mashed spuds. Pop peeled and diced parsnip pieces into the pot with your spuds and mash them all together when cooked (and drained). Add some butter and a grating of nutmeg. Groovy!
Crispy snips
Snips make amazing crisps. Get a pot of sunflower oil on a high heat. Peel the snips. Then use the veggie peeler to slice off long strands. Add in small batches to the oil. Remove with a slotted spoon. Add a bit of salt to get that delicious sweet-salty thing going on.
Bacon!
Parsnips are delicious in stews and risottos, and they're great with bacon. Just dice them up – small for risotto, bigger for soup. Follow your favourite recipe and sizzle bacon at the onion stage, and add pumpkin a bit later.
Serve up some parsnips as part of your Christmas Dinner.
Order a Christmas Fruit & Veg Box here
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