Roasted parsnip with three different flavour combinations, toppings and ways to change up home made vegan aioli.
Hello friends. It's been two months since my last new post, which is crazy but true. My intentions have been good, but life has been seriously in the way.
So what's been going on? A lot.
Illness. I usually pride myself on 'never getting sick'. And we all know what pride comes before, eh? I spent a week in bed before getting myself to the doctor and finding out my cold was actually bronchitis. It was dumb, and it took a long time to get over. Then one of my daughters got sick... It sucked.
Family. My mum is having trouble with her ears, and the impact that has had on her life (and ours) is huge. It's been a stressful time.
Work. There's been tons of it. Highlights included hosting a workshop on values-based communication for public sector and non profit organisations in the Waikato; and writing a feature story about Home Kitchen, a social enterprise focused on empowering former refugees to flourish by providing work and training opportunities that showcase their diverse food and cultures. It was cup-filling stuff, and a reminder of why I love what I do. More on Home Kitchen will be coming soon.
Travel. Hooray for travel! I'm about to head off on another adventure with my family. We're visiting Shanghai for five days, then Malaysian Borneo for three weeks of rainforests and orangutans. We can't wait. It took a bit of organising though, gotta say. It will also force another break away from recipe creation. I'll come back inspired though, promise.
Amongst all of that, I was nominated as a finalist in the Best Food Blog/Website category of The Foodies - NZ Food Media Awards 2019. I'm really honoured to be included alongside some of my long-time food heroes.
And now, let's eat
It's cold and wet here, and comfort food is the order of the day. I'm starting to get a bit over soup, so I've been leaning in the direction of all things roasted instead.
Of all the underrated root vegetables, parsnip would be my favourite. Earthy and sweet, parsnip lends itself well to roasting and is at its best with toasty caramelised edges.
A simple lick of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt is all that’s strictly necessary, but it’s very easy to make parsnips a real hero dish by adding some extra flavours to the roasting pan, serving them with a flavoursome aioli and some tasty morsels to garnish.
In this recipe I've provided three different flavour options including a flavour rub, matching vegan aioli + toppings: sage and garlic, miso sesame and smoky maple. They're all easy to make and incredibly delicious, the only hard part is deciding which one is the best.
How to roast parsnips
Parsnips shrink a bit during cooking (and disappear from the table very quickly), so I’m generous with the amount I cook. One kilogram (2.2lb) of parsnips will serve four people as a generous snack or side dish. Don't let me stop you from doubling the recipe though!
Parsnip has fairly high sugar content, meaning it cooks and browns quickly. If, like me, you prefer nice charry edges for a bit of extra flavour then a relatively shorter cooking time at a higher temperature will always give a better result. The last thing you want is blonde, soggy parsnip.
In this recipe I've provided three different flavour rubs. Simply pick one, mix the ingredients together and use your hands to rub over the parsnips, ensuring every piece is coated. Roast in a hot oven, turning halfway through cooking time, and remove when the parsnip is tender, golden and a little scorched in places.
Roasted parsnip with all the trimmings
Roasted parsnips are good. But what's better than good? Great. A tasty dipping sauce and some nibbly little garnishes will get you there.
Whip up a batch of home made vegan aioli (or use store bought) and stir through a flavour add in to match the flavour rub you used. I make my vegan aioli using aquafaba and grape seed oil, and it takes no more than five minutes.
The base recipe is flavoured with lemon and a touch of mustard. Smoked paprika and soy sauce or tamari are simple add ins to take the flavour in a different direction to match the other flavour rubs.
Making some nibbly little garnishes to scatter over the top is a simple way to add flavour, colour and texture, and boy they look pretty too.
Toasted hazelnuts and fried sage leaves are delicious with the sage and garlic parsnips; spring onion (scallion) and sesame seeds are a natural match with the miso sesame parsnips; and fried shallots or coconut bacon are perfect with the smoky maple flavour.
You might also like:
- Tempeh, parsnip and sage stuffing
- Lentil salad with roast baby carrots and red onion
- Cauliflower steak with orange tahini dressing and dukkah
Get the recipe
INGREDIENTS
PARSNIPS
- 1 kg parsnips (6-7 parsnips, 2.2lb)
SAGE AND GARLIC COMBO
Flavour rub
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped or grated
- 12 fresh sage leaves finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
Aioli
- ½ cup plain garlic aioli
Toppings
- ½ cup hazelnuts toasted, skins removed and roughly chopped (see recipe notes)
- Fresh sage leaves fried in olive oil until crisp (as many as you like)
MISO SESAME COMBO
Flavour rub
- 3 tbsp oil
- 2 tablespoon white miso paste (shiro miso)
- 1 tablespoon brown rice syrup
- 1 ½ teaspoon sesame oil
Aioli
- ½ cup plain garlic aioli
- 1-2 teaspoon soy sauce to taste (or tamari if gluten free)
Toppings
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds white, black or both
- 1-2 spring onions (scallion) green parts thinly sliced
SMOKY MAPLE COMBO
Flavour rub
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped or grated
- 1 ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Pinch cayenne pepper or more if you like a bit of heat
Aioli
- ½ cup plain garlic aioli
- ½ - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika to taste
Toppings
- 1-2 tablespoon fried shallots or
- 1-2 tablespoon coconut bacon
AQUAFABA AIOLI
- 3 tablespoon aquafaba
- 2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 clove garlic finely chopped or grated
- ½ cup neutral flavoured oil
INSTRUCTIONS
For the parsnips:
- Preheat oven to 200C (390F) fan bake.
- Peel and cut parsnips into even sized batons and put them into a large mixing bowl. In a small dish, stir together the ingredients for your chosen flavour rub. Pour it over the parsnips and use your hands to rub it all over them, ensuring every piece is coated.
- Tip the parsnips onto a lined baking tray and roast for 20-25 minutes, turning half way through cooking time. The parsnips are done when they are tender, golden and a little scorched in places.
- Serve roasted parsnips drizzled with the matching aioli, and a generous scatter of toppings.
For the aioli:
- Put the aquafaba, lemon juice, dijon mustard, garlic and salt into a tall, narrow jar or container (the narrow mixing jar that comes with a stick or immersion blender is ideal).
- Using a stick or immersion blender, blend briefly to incorporate everything. Blending the whole time, start slowly (very slowly) drizzling in the oil. Like magic, the mixture will thicken and become glossy.
- Taste and adjust salt, mustard or lemon juice to please your tastebuds. Stir through smoked paprika or soy/tamari sauce if using. Store in the fridge for up to three days.
RECIPE NOTES
- Nutrition information is estimate for parsnips and aioli. It does not include toppings.
- To toast hazelnuts, put them in a 200C (390F) oven for 7 minutes, until fragrant and golden. Remove from oven, tip onto a clean tea towel and rub to remove skins. Roughly chop.
- White (or shiro) miso paste and fried shallots are easily available from Asian supermarkets.
- Aquafaba is the liquid from a can of chickpeas. It can be used instead of egg to make mayonnaise or aioli.
- I prefer a neutral flavoured oil like grape seed oil to make mayonnaise or aioli. Rice bran oil or light olive oil will also work.
- Recipe first published in the Winter 2019 edition of Nourish Magazine.
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