UNMISTAKABLY, quintessentially British, the parsnip is faithfully revered at home yet misunderstood by our European cousins.
Like a pair of conker-brown brogues, it is immune to passing whims, being never truly in fashion, yet never out of style. Always robustly ready to rub shoulders with the most simple of stews, equally, parsnip may effortlessly grace an elegant plate of the most sophisticated ingredients. It is, in short, that rare ingredient, found both at home and in the smartest of restaurants. Perhaps not all restaurants, actually. A French restaurant manager I once worked with looked aghast when I explained what was being served with beef fillet. We French, Patrice spluttered, feed these vegetables to animals.
Well, I must side with the animals on this one. It's a wintry favourite I never tire of, and my biggest problem is resisting the urge to get them onto the menu too early. My personal discipline dictates I wait for November. There is a long winter ahead in which to use them - so why start sooner? But also, their honeyed sweetness is better suited to the crisp coldness of hard winter, not the soft mildness of autumn.
Silky puree, rich soup, crisp chips, golden roasts; spiced with curry powder, crusted with nuts or glazed with maple syrup ... the lowly parsnip richly ascends to all these heights with a versatility as gratifying as it tastes. Salt and nutmeg are useful partners to emphasise parsnips' natural sweetness; a dab of horseradish in parsnip puree is heavenly.
Warm salad of honey-roast parsnips, pears, blue cheese and walnuts
Recipes serve four
4 parsnips
2 pears
100g blue cheese
2 or 3 dsstsp walnuts
40g butter
150ml olive oil plus a little more for roasting
½ tsp curry powder
A few radishes
3 dsstsp clear runny honey
100g mixed salad leaves
Method
1. Place the curry powder in a small, dry saucepan with no oil. Place over a very low heat and toast for half a minute, shaking a couple of times to prevent burning. Remove from heat and after one minute, add the 150ml olive oil. Return to the heat for one minute; remove to cool; then pass through a fine sieve, reserving the infused oil and discarding the powder. (This can be done several days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Remove an hour before using.)
2. Using a swivel-head peeler, peel the parsnips and shave off the root from the top. Cut lengthways into four or six then trim out the central woody core that runs the length of each piece.
3. Heat a frying pan, add a spoonful of olive oil and heat for one minute on a medium heat. Add the parsnips and season lightly with sea salt. Fry gently so the face that is downwards in contact with the pan begins to turn golden brown. Turn the parsnips over to colour the other face then when beginning to brown, add the honey to the pan. Add butter then continue cooking the parsnips, turning until golden brown all over, about 10 minutes. Once done, leave in the pan for now.
4. Cut the radishes into fine coins and set aside. Slice the cheese into 1cm dice, or crumble into hazelnut-sized pieces then set aside.
5. Peel the pears with a swivel-head peeler then cut each into 10-12 wedges. Trim out the core and set aside on a plate for now.
6. To complete and serve: divide half of the parsnips between four serving plates. Scatter half the leaves over them then scatter with half the pears, walnuts and radishes then repeat. Drizzle over the pan juices and then with a teaspoon drizzle some of the curry oil over. Sprinkle with a little sea salt and a small twist of pepper then serve at once.
Parsnip and tarragon puree
4 parsnips
1 piece of star anise
5g fresh tarragon
50g butter
250-300ml milk
2 tblsp double cream, optional
Salt
1. Parsnip has a very slight aniseed edge and combining it with star anise and tarragon makes for an unusual but delicious combination. Peel the parsnips and cut into four pieces lengthways. Cut out the woody core running down the centre and discard. Slice the parsnip wedges into approx 1cm pieces.
2. Transfer to a saucepan, cover with the milk then add a pinch of salt and the star anise. If necessary top up with a little more milk so the parsnips are just barely covered. Place over a gentle heat and bring to the simmer then cook until tender.
3. Meanwhile, pick the tarragon leaves from their stalks. Add the stalks to the cooking parsnips as soon as you can. Chop the tarragon and set side for now. (If making in advance, chop the tarragon just before reheating and serving.)
4. When the parsnips are cooked, place a colander over a bowl and drain the contents of the pan carefully through the colander so the bowl collects the cooking milk. Fish out the tarragon stalks and star anise and discard. Carefully transfer the parsnips to a food processor. Add just enough milk to help process to a puree: the more milk, the thinner and looser the puree will be. I like to keep the puree thick so it can be spooned onto plates. Alternatively you could add more milk and make a thick soup. Once processed to a puree, transfer to a pan.
5. To finish, warm, stir regularly to prevent sticking. Add a dsstsp of cream if you think it would benefit from enrichment. Add the chopped tarragon leaves then taste for seasoning before serving. Excellent with lamb, beef, duck or game.
Geoffrey Smeddle is the chef patron of The Peat Inn, by St Andrew's, Fife, KY15 5LH 01334 840206 www.thepeatinn.co.uk
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