How to cook parsnips
From peeling to roasting, from mashing to storing, here's everything you need to know about cooking parsnips.
Roast parsnips are a popular root vegetable traditionally served in the winter months and are often roasted. In season from September to March, it is said that the best-flavoured parsnips are those that have been left in the ground until after the first frosts.
Parsnips are a versatile vegetable that can be mashed to make a tasty pie topping, added to soups and stews, or simply served as a side as part of your roast dinner spread. However you choose to serve parsnips, our guide will help to make preparing them and cooking parsnips much easier.
When it comes to choosing parsnips from your local supermarket or greengrocers we’d recommended opting for small to medium-sized parsnips if possible. Large ones tend to be tough and fibrous in the middle.
*How to prepare parsnips
*Do you have to peel your parsnips before roasting them?
*Can you prepare parsnips the day before cooking?
*Can you roast parsnips without boiling them first?
*How to cook parsnips
*How to roast parsnips
*How to steam parsnips
*How to make parsnip mash
*How to serve parsnips
*How to store parsnips
*How do you store parboiled parsnips overnight?
How to prepare parsnips
To prepare parsnips for cooking first wash and peel them. Trim the ends and discard. Next, cut into equal-sized pieces. This will ensure that they all take the same time to cook.
If roasting the parsnips either cut them into halves and quarters lengthways or if you prefer cut the peeled parsnips into rounds. This will not impact the taste so just choose the look you like best.
Do you have to peel your parsnips before roasting them?
We’d recommend peeling parsnips before roasting them, especially the larger ones. If you leave the skin on, you’ll likely end up with a tough, woody texture that no one really wants. If you have very small, younger parsnips you c0uld probably get away without peeling them if they’re proving difficult.
Can you prepare parsnips the day before cooking?
You can prepare parsnips the day before roasting them. In fact, you can get them entirely ready to go into the oven. Once you have prepared the parsnips following the steps above put them into a large bowl. Mix with oil, seasonings, and any other extras you are adding (such as herbs or mustard).
Mixing the parsnips together with the additional ingredients will ensure that all of the parsnips are evenly coated. You can now arrange them in a roasting dish and cover them with clingfilm. Store in a cool place or the fridge if preferred until ready to cook the next day. To cook remove the clingfilm and roast for the desired time.
Can you roast parsnips without boiling them first?
Most people like to parboil their parsnips first as then they are less likely to be dry and chewy after the roasting process. But if like us you prefer firmer parsnips or are short of time we suggest skipping this step.
To parboil parsnips put the parsnips into cold water, bring them up to the boil, and cook for roughly 5 mins. Drain and then continue with the roasting step.
How to cook parsnips
Although parsnips cook a little more quickly than potatoes you can generally cook them in the same way. Peel (or just scrub baby ones), halve, quarter, or cut into chunks and then boil, roast or mash.
Our recommended way to cook parsnips is by roasting them. Roasting parsnips enhance the natural sweetness of the vegetable. To balance this sweetness you could cook parsnips with spices such as fresh chilli, harissa paste, or curry paste. Or if you want to enhance their sweetness, coat them in honey and mustard which will caramelise during roasting for extra stickiness.
How to roast parsnips
Ingredients
- 4-6 medium-sized parsnips
- 3tbsp fat, this can be vegetable oil, olive oil, or if you have it goose fat
- sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Method
How to cook roast parsnips: Step 1
Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/Fan 180ºC/Gas Mark 6. Peel the parsnips and trim off both ends. Cut them in half or quarters lengthways depending on their size and place them in a roasting tin.
The parsnips will cook faster and more evenly if they are not overlapping so try to find a baking tray that has enough space to arrange them neatly in rows.
How to cook roast parsnips: Step 2
Add the oil, season with salt and freshly ground pepper, and mix well to coat. Roast in the oven for 35 mins until golden and tender. If the parsnips are overlapping in the tray you may need to mix them a couple of times during the cooking so that they all cook evenly.
How to steam parsnips
In order to steam parsnips, you will need a pan with a steamer insert.
- Fill the bottom pan with water. Peel and cut the parsnips.
- Bring to the boil and put the prepared parsnips into the basket. The parsnips should not touch the water directly. But instead will be cooked by the hot water vapor.
- Sprinkle over a little sea salt to season the parsnips. Put the lid on the pan and steam for 15 mins until tender.
Once cooked put into a serving dish. We like to add a knob of butter and some chopped parsley before serving.
How to make parsnip mash
Mashed parsnip is a great alternative to roasted or steamed parsnips.
- Simply place peeled and cut pieces of parsnip into a pan of cold water.
- Bring to the boil and cook for about 10-20 mins, until the parsnip is tender. Poke a piece with a fork to check.
- Drain the cooked parsnip and mash with a potato masher or handheld stick blender for a smoother puree-like consistency. Mix in seasoning and butter, cream, or milk to taste.
For an extra indulgent parsnip mash try this recipe for parsnip and parmesan mash.
How to serve parsnips
Parsnips are a wonderful addition to a Sunday roast. They are traditionally considered to be a great companion for pork but go with other meat too. Niki Segnit cites in her book The Flavour Thesaurus the success of the flavour combination of parsnips with pork and with beef. Explaining ‘Carrot and parsnip are similarly sweet, but parsnip’s greater complexity of flavour make it a more interesting companion for beef.’
Parsnips are also a Christmas dinner staple, the sweetness of roasted parsnip is ideal for a rich festive spread served with turkey. GoodtoKnow Food Writer Rosie Bensberg always serves parsnips at Christmas. But she gives them a special festive touch. Rosie explains ‘I like to roast them with olive oil for 25 mins and then add a glaze of orange zest, juice, and honey and roast for a further 10 mins.’
But roasting parsnips certainly isn’t the only way to serve them. In his recipe for honey-glazed carrots and parsnips, Gordon Ramsay fries parsnips in a pan and pairs them with carrots.
Cooking parsnips with honey is a popular choice as it intensifies the natural sweetness. In the Hairy Bikers’ roast parsnips recipe, the Hairy Bikers add two tbsp of honey or maple syrup 10 mins before the end of the roasting time. This will give the parsnips a gorgeous golden glaze. Making them look and taste extra special.
For a twist on the classic roast, parsnips use spice to balance the sweetness. Such as in this horseradish parsnips recipe. Or go the other way try our maple roast parsnips with sesame seeds recipe or salted caramel roasted carrots and parsnips recipe for an extra sweet punch of flavour. The maple glaze makes the parsnips sticky and the salted caramel adds another dimension of both sweet and salty to the vegetables.
Classic potato dishes such as Potato Dauphinoise – thinly sliced potatoes layered and baked with garlic and cream and topped with Gruyere cheese – are delicious made with parsnips instead. Rosti cakes using par-boiled coarsely grated parsnips instead of potatoes are a winner too.
How to store parsnips
Fresh parsnips are best stored in a cool place such as a larder or in the fridge. Leftover cooked parsnips should be stored in the fridge where they will keep for up to a week. To reheat leftover roasted parsnips we like to chop them up and fry them in a little oil or butter until warmed through. This can then be served as a side for another meal.
If you have additional leftover veg you could use it to make bubble and squeak. Or after a roast chicken, Jessica Ransom GoodtoKnow Senior Food Writer loves to combine leftover roast parsnips and carrots with couscous with a little olive oil, salt, and leftover roast chicken. She adds zaatar to give the yummy leftover dish a Persian-inspired flavour.
You can also freeze cooked parsnips. If you freeze a portion in a foil tray you can easily put them into the oven to thaw and reheat. However, this double cooking will make the texture of the parsnips a little mushy.
How do you store parboiled parsnips overnight?
You can parboiled parsnips to roast the following day. We recommend that you prepare them entirely for roasting and put them into the roasting tin ready to pop into the oven.
Cover the tray with clingfilm and store it in a cool place or the fridge if there is space. If you are cooking parsnips as part of a Christmas dinner it’s great to prep them in advance so there is less to do on the main day.
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