Parsnips

[nan5623]

My Mom used to slice them length wise and saute them in butter until they were soft with a little brown crust around the edges. YUM, I love parsnips.

[Mooseketeer]

Parsnip soup is one of my favourite way to eat parsnip :


Spicy roasted parsnip soup recipe - Recipes - BBC Good Food


And Parsnip crisps , a lovely alternative ot potato chips :

Parsnip Crisps Recipe | Food | Channel4.com

And Parsnip Mash :

Parsnip Mash Recipe | Food | Channel4.com

[B4U]

I get a big piece of beef suet or two. Slash the top of the suet in a checkerboad pattern and fry it til it renders it's fat.
Peel and place the parsnips length-wise in and oven-safe cassarole dish. Pour the suet over the parsnips, (the suet only renders about 2 TBSP of fat). Salt & pepper, toss, and bake in the oven.
I do this when I make and eyeround roast.

I used to roast them in the pan with the roast, but then I couldn't make gravy. So I do seperately.

Also, parsnips have gotten so expensive ($2.54 a bag and there's only 3 inside And I don't know why. There's not a big call for them here.) I've resorted to doing carrots the same, adding them to the parsnip/suet dish to extend the volumn.

If I'm trying to expedite cooking time, I steam the veggies (carrots & parsnips) for only about 7-8 mins. first, depending how thick they are, then put in baking dish with suet.
The reason I cook them with the suet, rather than oil or butter, is because it picks up alittle of the beef flavor. Yum, yum!
Then I blot excess oil out of the rendered suet, chop it up and add it to the dog's food. What a treat for him!

I think they taste like a very mild, less sweet, carrot. The texture being alittle denser, maybe starchier?, than a carrot.

My mother used to steam them and throw them in with the boiled potatoes to mash together, with butter & milk.

If you like cooked carrots, however you like cooked carrots, I'd say it's a safe bet you'd enjoy parsnips.
Give 'em a try.

[hugepossum]

Yes, they are good. I usually just throw them into my soups with other veggies that people don't use very often (turnips, rutabegas, etc) just for fun.

If you get them from a store that doesn't sell alot of parsnips, which is most stores, they seem to have a weird waxy coating on them much of the time. Be sure to either peel them or wash them really well.

[JustJulia]

That soup recipe looks tasty, Mooseketeer. I was thinking of adding a soup to Thanksgiving dinner this year--that one might be perfect! I like the comment about pouring leftovers over a hot baked potato too.

[Cattknap]

Am I the only one that doesn't like boiled parsnips? Roasting caramelized them and makes them sweet - I think they taste bitter when they are boiled and have an odd taste. Maybe it is just me.

[Caligula1]

I'm going to try them both boiled and roasted before Turkeyday. I'll only cook maybe 2 at a time just as a taste test and i'll start tomorrow. Thanks everyone for the help, it's greatly appreciated.