Parmesan-baked Parsnips
This is one of
the nicest ways to serve parsnips, baked crisp
and golden brown in the oven with a Parmesan coating. They
can be prepared well in advance, up to 24 hours, or they can even be prepared
and frozen and will then cook perfectly if allowed to defrost first. This
recipe also works very well with sweet potatoes.
If you are roasting
potatoes on the top shelf, these can cook beneath. Vegetarians might like
to know that vegetarian parmesan-style
cheese is available.
Serves : 8
Ingredients:
2oz / 50g
Freshly Grated Parmesan
(Parmigiano Reggiano)
2½lb / 1.25kg Parsnips
6oz / 175g Plain Flour
Groundnut or Other Flavourless Oil for
baking
A Knob of Butter
Salt and Freshly
Milled Black Pepper
Instructions:
1.
Pre-heat
the oven to Gas Mark 6 / 400°F / 200°C.
2.
Begin by
combining the flour, Parmesan, salt and pepper in a mixing
bowl.
3.
Peel the parsnips using a
potato peeler.
4.
Then halve
and quarter them lengthways and cut each length in half across, so that you end
up with smallish chunks. Cut out any tough woody centres.
5.
Now pop
the parsnips in a saucepan, pour in enough boiling water just to cover them
and add salt.
6.
Put on a
lid, bring them to the boil and boil for 3 minutes.
7.
Meanwhile
have a large kitchen tray ready.
8.
Then, as
soon as they are ready, drain them in a colander and, whilst they are still
steaming, drop a few at a time (with the aid of some kitchen tongs) into the flour and parmesan mixture,
shaking the bowl and moving them around so that they get a good even coating.
9.
As they
are coated transfer them to the tray. Make sure you do them all fairly swiftly
as the flour mixture
will only coat them whilst they are still steamy.
10.
When
they're all coated they are ready to cook or store in the fridge or freeze. Any
leftover flour and Parmesan can be kept
(sifted) in the fridge or freezer for another time. What is important is to
have plenty in order to coat the parsnips quickly.
11.
To bake
them, place a large solid roasting tin in the oven to pre-heat and in it put
enough oil just to
cover the base and a knob of butter for flavour.
12.
Then, when
the oven is ready, remove the tin and place it over direct heat (turned fairly
low) and, again using tongs, place the parsnips quickly side
by side in the tin.
13.
Tilt it and
baste all the parsnips
with hot fat, place the tin in the oven and bake them for 20 minutes, then turn
them over, drain off any surplus fat (a bulb baster
is good for this) and continue to bake for a further 15 – 20 minutes or until
they are crisp and golden.
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