Confit Parsnip Gratin
While parsnips may just look like white carrots, they really are so much more than that. Being related to the carrot (obviously) and parsley (yep, parsley viagra generika online!), the flavour of this root is infinitely sweeter than its carrot-y cousin, and has a delicate spiciness too. It’s also wonderfully in-season at this time of year, and really is versatile. Take a recipe using carrot, swap in parsnip and be amazed! In fact, you could even use parsnip anywhere you would use sweet potato – mash it, blend it into a soup, pureé it – there really are no limits. If you’re getting all green-thumbed and planting your own parsnips, cooler weather really makes for the best harvest time. When planting them, be sure to put them where there is lots of sunlight, they really do benefit hugely from it, but if you’re in a pinch they will tolerate partial sun too.
To celebrate winter and the humble parsnip itself, we’ve given it a real French makeover. Using the traditional method of confit, but using butter instead of duck fat, the parsnip slowly cooks until it’s soft throughout and rib-stickingly rich. It’s then topped with a fresh, crunchy breadcrumb mix and gratinated until crispy! This would sit happily next to any main course you’re serving this winter, but we’re loving it with roast lamb, where the meat can stand up to the richness of the parsnips.
Confit Parsnip Gratin
Serves: 4
Difficulty: easy
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
6 or 7 large parsnips, peeled, ends trimmed
salt and pepper
250 g butter, melted
3 cloves of garlic, 2 bruised and 1 left whole
100 g breadcrumbs
1 small handful of parsley, stalks removed
Cut the parsnips in half where the stalk begins to thin out. Then quarter the thick end to make baton shapes of roughly the same size.
Place the parsnips into a small saucepan, season lightly and pour over the melted butter. Add the garlic and thyme and place over a high heat. Bring the butter to the boil for a minute, then reduce the heat to barely a simmer. Leave to cook until the parsnips are almost soft the whole way through – between 20 and 30 minutes.
While the parsnips cook, make the breadcrumb mix. In a food processor, pulse the bread crumbs, the whole peeled garlic clove and the parsley to combine.
Once the parsnips are cooked, strain off some of the butter. Be careful as some of the parsnips may be very soft and you don’t want to crush them in the sieve. Don’t throw away the butter you’ve strained off, it will have a lot of flavour and you can reuse it to confit more vegetables or even as a base for a roux.
Place the strained parsnips in an ovenproof casserole and pour in a little bit of the butter, just enough to keep the parsnips moist. Arrange the parsnips in the butter so that they sit somewhat evenly and then top with the breadcrumbs, pressing down lightly.
When you’re ready to serve, preheat the oven 200 ºC with the grill setting on.
Place the parsnips in the oven for about 10 minutes to heat through, brown and crisp up the breadcrumbs.
See more of our favourite seasonal winter veg recipes here!
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