Parsnip stew with mushrooms & bacon

For ➍
1 kg potatoes
800 g parsnips
1 tbs mild olive oil
150 g bacon strips
3 sprigs fresh thyme
400 g chestnut mushrooms
125 g sliced ​​shallots
20 cl semi-skimmed milk

Peel the potatoes, cut into equal pieces and cook in water with any salt in 20 m until done.
Peel the parsnip and cut into 1 cm thick slices. Cook the last 10 m with the potatoes.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the bacon strips until crispy over medium heat in 8 m.
Meanwhile, tear the leaves of the thyme sprigs.
Slice the mushrooms.
Turn down the heat. Add the thyme, mushrooms and shallots to the bacon and cook over low heat for 8 m.
Heat the milk. Drain the potatoes and parsnip, add the milk and mash with the mashed potatoes.
Serve the stew with the mushroom mixture.

Cod with parsnip mash

For ➍
600 g cod fillets (when frozen, thaw for 20 m & pat dry)
500 g parsnips, cut into pieces
500 g oyster mushrooms, torn
juice ½ lemon
1 box of garden cress, picked
2 cloves garlic, chopped
50 g pecorino, grated
3 dl of milk
2 tbs butter
50 g almond flakes
black pepper & salt

Season fish with black pepper and salt.
Boil the pieces of parsnip and half of the garlic for 15 m in the milk. Drain.
Meanwhile, melt 1 tbs butter in a pan and fry the oyster mushrooms together with the rest of the garlic until golden brown. Season with black pepper and salt.
Meanwhile, toast the almond flakes in a non-stick pan with no fat. Remove from the pan.
Melt 1 tbs butter in the same pan and fry the fish on both sides for 3 to 4 m golden brown.
Mix the parsnip and season with black pepper and salt. Add the lemon juice and the grated pecorino.
Spread the parsnip mash over the plates and put the oyster mushrooms and fried cod on top. Sprinkle with the toasted almond flakes and finish with some cress. Serve with boiled potatoes or croquettes.

Boudins d'Amay (Belgian pudding sausages with sweet potatoes, turnips & parsnips)

For ➍
4 boudins blancs de Liège (white sausages with pork meat, bread and marjoram)
4 boudins noirs (black pudding sausages) with raisins
4 parsnips
4-6 sweet potatoes
3-4 rutabaga/swedes (purple turnips)
1 tbs honey
4 onions
2 ts sirop de Liège
4 garlic cloves
3 ts mustard
4 ts cranberry jam
fleur de sel
Espelette pepper
olive oil
butter

Dip the unpeeled parsnip in salted water and boil for 15 m. Cool in ice-water, rub the skin off.
Cut the parsnips into thick slices and brush them with olive oil. Sprinkle with fleur de sel, and toast the slices on both sides on a grill. Drizzle with (mandarin) oil and give them a whirl with the pepper mill.
Meanwhile put unpeeled sweet potatoes, in an oven @ 200°C. Roast for 45 m.
Put 4 unpeeled onions in the oven and let them yarn. Peel the sweet potatoes, rub the sweet potatoes with olive oil and a little sesame oil, sprinkle with fleur de sel, a little Espelette pepper and honey. Put the sweet potatoes in a baking dish with butter and bake them a little more.
Peel the onions, arrange them with some crushed garlic cloves in a baking dish. Peel the rutabaga turnips, cut into cubes. Fry them briefly in olive oil and add them to the baking dish. Brown a little butter and spread over the turnips. Sprinkle with fleur de sel and pepper. Put the baking dish in the oven for 40 m @ 180-200°C. Toss a few times.
Mix 3 ts mustard with 4 (or more) ts of cranberry jam.
Slice black pudding sausages with raisins and white Liege tripes. Fry in foaming butter.
Arrange the sweet potato, roasted parsnips, turnips on the warmed plates. Dress the turnips with a spoonful of syrup of Liège. Put the sliced sausages next to a generous serving of the mixed mustard. If desired, garnish with parsley and sesame seeds.

*Alternatively, clean and slice the vegetables. Steam for 20 m and grill them lightly.

*Or peel the vegetables, cut  into small parts, preheat an oven to 200°C, put the vegetables on baking paper (each in  small group of its own), spray with olive oil, bake them for about 25 m. Dress the vegetables with honey, mustard & jam, butter, as indicated in the recipe.

Lamsstoofpot met geuze (Flemish lamb stew with gueuze)

For ➍
1.5 kg lamb shoulder (boneless)
butter
salt & pepper
2 onions
1 clove garlic
2 tbs flour
75 cl traditional Belgian gueuze
bouquet garni
4 carrots
4 turnips*
500 g potatoes
6 endives
150 g pickled onion
1 tbs powdered sugar
1 tbs chives, finely chopped

Cut the lamb into strips. Brown in butter. Season with salt and pepper. Cut onions finely, sauté with garlic. Sprinkle with flour, add to the meat. Add beer and bouquet garni. Bring to a boil and simmer for 70 m on low heat.
Dice carrots, turnips, potatoes and endives. Peel the pickled onion. Caramelise all vegetables in butter and sugar. Add to the meat. Cook for another 15 m. Season to taste and remove bouquet from the pan. Sprinkle with chopped chives..
Serve with winter vegetables like celery and potatoes.

*Replace with parsnips.

Dr. Rennard's Nebraska comforting chicken soup

For ➑
1 large roasting chicken or baking hen (3 kg)
1 package chicken wings or drumsticks (10 to 12 pieces)
10 medium carrots, peeled
3 large onions, peeled & quartered
3 parsnips, peeled
1 large sweet potato, peeled
2 turnips, peeled
6 stalks celery
1 bunch parsley
salt & pepper to taste

Wash the whole chicken and chicken parts. Place in a large soup pot, fill ¾ full with water and bring to a boil. Add carrots, onion, parsnips, sweet potato and turnips.
Simmer covered for 1 h. Add celery and parsley and cook for another 45 m. Spoon out the chicken and bones.
Remove the vegetables along with a small amount of the broth; purée, then stir back into the soup. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with a slice of toasted bread.

At the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Stephen Rennard found that chicken soup blocks the movement of inflammatory white cells (neutrophils) in lab tests. Neutrophils, in great numbers, can trigger an inflammatory response that exacerbates cold symptoms. The recipe is actually a time-tested family recipe, handed down by his wife's grandmother.

Parsnip mash

For ➍
500 g potatoes
500 g parsnips
40 g butter
2 tbs cream

Put the potatoes and parsnips into separate pans of cold salted water, bring to the boil and cook for 20 m or until tender. Drain well.

Pass the potatoes through a potato ricer into a clean pan, or mash until smooth. Put the parsnips into a food processor with the butter and cream and blend until smooth. Stir into the mashed potatoes, season to taste.

*Serve with roast meat like guinea fowl.

The parsnip ('pastinaca sativa') is a root vegetable related to the carrot. The parsnip originates in the Mediterranean region and originally was the size of a baby carrot when fully grown. When the Roman Empire expanded north, the Romans brought the parsnip with them. They found that the parsnip grew bigger the farther north they went. The parsnip and other root vegetables remained regular food in Europe until the arrival of the (American) potato.
Read tip on cooking parsnips.

Parsnip soup

For ➍
5 large parsnips*
butter
garam masala**
1.5 l vegetable stock
pepper & salt
sherry

Peel the parsnips, cut them finely. Sauté in butter, season with garam masala* and salt. Add stock, cook until done.
Mix through a strainer. Season with pepper, salt and sherry.

*Add a large cubed onion and 2 cloves of garlic. Sauté them for 10 m in the butter, then add the parsnips.

**Or a mix of fresh coriander & ginger.

Read tip on cooking parsnips.

Parsnips @ microwave

For ➋
300 g parsnips
2 tbs olive oil
2 ts sea salt
½ tbs lemon juice
1 tbs fresh chervil

Peel the parsnips thinly with a peeler. Cut into strips. Mix with oil and salt. Place in a large bowl and drizzle with 2 tbs water. Cover and cook 3 to 4 m (at 750 w).

Leave the vegetables covered in the microwave for a few m. Sprinkle with lemon juice and chervil.

Serve with cheese potato gratin and a green salad.

Read tip on cooking parsnips.

Roasted parsnips

For ➍
2 parsnips*
2 tbs olive oil

Preheat oven to 190°C.

Peel the parsnips. Remove end and top. Cut into pieces of about 1 cm.

Put in one layer in an oven proof dish. Sprinkle with olive oil.

Cook for 25 m.

Serve as a side dish. (With potato mash and coarse meat sausage, for instance).

*1 will suit 2 persons.
**Or cut into chip size slices, sprinkle with olive oil, thyme and rosemary, salt and pepper. Put under the grill for 15 m. You will need about 1 parsnip per person to serve as a replacement for potato chips.
***Or cut 450 g parsnips in large chunks. Mix 4 tbs sherry and 3 tbs honey. Cover the parsnip chunks with the mix. Add Cajun spices and black pepper. Roast for 10 m, turn the chunks over and bake for another 10 m. Or until the parsnips are golden brown. Serve as a side dish with roast meat or fowl like pheasant.
***Or mix 2 tbs olive oil, ¼ ts black pepper, ½ ts kosher salt, ½ ts thyme. Coat the cut parsnips with it and bake in oven for 25 m.

Read tip on cooking parsnips.

tip: cooking parsnips

Parsnips need to be peeled. For cooked parsnips, many prefer to boil or steam the washed root and then scrape off the skin to preserve nutritional value.

Small, tender parsnips may be peeled and grated raw into salads.

Parsnips are best roasted in the oven, although many like them steamed and mashed like potatoes.

Oversized parsnips need the bitter core to be removed before or after cooking.

To avoid mushy parsnips, add them to soups and stews near the end of the cooking time.

Peeled and pared parsnips will turn dark when exposed to the air. Hold them in water with a bit of lemon juice added.

Parsnips may be substituted for carrots in most recipes.

Parsnips go well with basil, dill weed, parsley, thyme and tarragon.

500 g parsnips serve ➍.

Read more tips.
Read more parsnip recipes.