The Parsnip Special
3 delicious ways to use them
Parsnips are a sneakily versatile vegetable. I think a lot of us tend to reach for them most often as a roast accompaniment - and they’re certainly great that way, but really can do a lot more. Their simple sweet taste counterbalances rich, creamy and cheesy flavours beautifully, but they’re equally at home with warm spices and lighter plates. They can even be eaten raw - I like to finely shred them and use them as an alternative for celeriac in remoulade. They blend particularly well into soups and purees, having just the right level of starch to become silky smooth. They can add moistness and sweetness when grated into cake batters. The possibilities are vast.
I find a lot of parsnip recipes call for them to be roasted with lots of honey or maple to intensify their sweetness. I don’t totally follow the logic of this: why add sweetness to an already sweet vegetable? I generally prefer to balance their natural flavour with really savoury ingredients.
Parsnip gnocchi
Recipe
Makes 4 portions
For the gnocchi:
350g parsnips, peeled and roughly chopped around 2cm
350g medium floury potatoes like Maris Piper or Russet
1 large egg yolk
50g finely grated Parmesan
200g 00 flour
Salt
For the parsnip puree:
200g parsnips, peeled and roughly chopped around 1cm diced
300ml milk
75ml double cream
Salt
To serve:
1 large leek, trimmed, halved lengthways, finely sliced and washed
2 cloves garlic, finely grated or crushed
2 sprigs thyme, picked
Olive oil
Parmesan
To make the gnocchi place the potatoes and parsnips in a saucepan, well covered with salted water. Bring to a simmer, cook until tender and drain. Allow excess steam to billow off for at least five minutes, then pass through a ricer or mash very finely
Stir the flour, Parmesan, egg yolk and salt into the parsnip/potato mixture. Knead on a floured surface until a smooth dough forms. Use your hands to roll the mixture into logs (add more flour to the work surface as needed) of around 2cm diameter. Slice at around 2-3cm
Meanwhile make the parsnip puree - place the parsnips, milk, cream and salt in a medium pan. Simmer until the parsnips are completely tender. Use a high speed blender to blitz completely smooth - keep a little of the liquid back when blending and just add it if needed. If it’s difficult to blend, scrape down the sides of the blender and add a splash more milk or water and continue. Season to taste
Bring a large pan of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the gnocchi and cook until it floats to the surface. Lift the gnocchi out with a spider or drain very carefully not to break them
Place a large frying pan over a medium heat with a little oil. Add the gnocchi to the pan. When coloured on one side turn them and after one minute add the leeks, garlic and to the pan. Stir until the leeks have softened and the gnocchi is golden all over
To serve spoon the parsnip puree onto serving plates, top with the gnocchi mixture and grate over more Parmesan
Parsnip & white bean gratin
Serve with a big mound of green salad or as part of a roast dinner.
Recipe
Makes 4 portions
