Best In Season - December - written by Chef Consultant, Celia Brooks
Parsnips in a Pear Tree
Starchy, cheap and filling root vegetables are a welcome presence on the plate throughout the year. Parsnips, however, mostly come into the culinary lexicon in autumn and winter. Like almost every other veg, they are available to buy all year round, but winter is their season - frost makes them sweeter. In the UK they are an essential trimming for comforting roast dinners in the colder months, and for some, a feature that Christmas dinner wouldn’t be the same without.
Every week, when I introduce my food tours, I ask dozens of people what their favourite and least favourite foods are. Parsnips often pop up as a pet hate, and occasionally as a fave, too. They do have a unique flavour that resembles a cocktail of parsley, nutmeg and aniseed, due to specific, (and nutritious), chemical compounds they contain (they are closely related to parsley and carrots). That subtle sweet spiciness isn’t for everyone. But it has the ability to reach real flavour heights in certain combinations - especially with fat and sweetness, and as you’ll see below, pears.
The golden rule that “carbs + fat = yum” is true for potatoes and all starchy veg including parsnips, and they usually taste best when roasted or baked with lashings of fat. They can be a little dry, so don’t hold back on the emollient. Butter and parsnips are particularly good chums.
They also love a pairing with honey and sweet spices like cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg. They can be used grated like carrots to make incredibly delicious cakes, cupcakes, muffins and crumbles. Believe it or not, during rationing in WWII, when bananas were not available and sorely missed, housewives made mock bananas with boiled parsnips, sugar and banana essence. Next time you bite into a parsnip, see if you can detect a tropical vibe - it’s definitely there!
Some of my favourite parsnip treatments are below, followed by a full recipe to adorn your Christmas table, as a starter or accompaniment.
Parsnip crisps: Slice large, peeled parsnips as thinly as possible - using a mandolin is perfect. Toss the widest discs in plenty of melted butter and sprinkle lightly with sea salt. Lay out in a single layer on lined baking sheets and cook at 120C, stirring and shaking frequently, for about an hour, until golden and crisp. Serve with a little bowl of honey for dipping.
Sherry-glazed parsnips: Cut about 800g peeled parsnips into batons and place in a large saucepan with 250ml sweet sherry, 75g dark brown sugar and 100g cubed butter with a bit of salt. Bring to the boil, then simmer until the liquid is reduced to a thick glaze. Season with freshly ground black pepper and sprinkle with parsley.
Parsnip & pear soup: One of my favourite soups ever. Soften chopped onions and celery with fresh thyme leaves in butter. Add peeled parsnip chunks and top up with stock. Simmer until the parsnips are tender, then add a couple of roughly chopped pears and a little lemon juice. Simmer for another 15-20 minutes. Puree the soup and serve each bowl topped with crumbled Stilton cheese.
Honey-Roast Parsnip & Pear Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing
From “Entertaining Vegetarians” by Celia Brooks
Parsnips, pears and blue cheese are a holy trinity in my repertoire, as you’ll also see from my soup recipe above. This is an elegant presentation of parsnips which you can serve plated as a first course, or mounded on a platter to share. The macadamia nuts here are pure luxury! You could substitute hazelnuts or any other nut for that perfect texture balance.
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 smallish parsnips, peeled and quartered into long pieces
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp honey
2 dessert pears, sliced into wedges
4 handfuls of wild rocket
75g macadamia nuts, toasted
For the sauce:
150g Stilton, gorgonzola or other strong blue cheese
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
125ml best olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Method
1) Preheat oven to 200 C / 400 F. Place parsnips in a roasting tin and coat with oil. Drizzle with honey and season with salt and pepper. Roast until golden, about 20 minutes. Cool.
2) To make the dressing, mash gorgonzola in a bowl. Stir in vinegar and whisk in olive oil with a little salt and pepper, until fairly smooth.
3) Arrange rocket on 4 plates and follow with pears, nuts and parsnips, then pour over the dressing. Finish with more pepper.
