Roasted Parsnips

‘Parsnips browned round the joint of roast beef are at their best.” (Dorothy Hartley from Food in England (1954).

Roasted parsnips also make an excellent accompaniment to braised roasts. Their natural mellow sweetness does not require much enhancement and…their golden colour is pretty.

Equipment

a Ceramic Baking Dish, buttered: The one in the photo measures 8″ x 8″ (about 20 cm x 20 cm).
a Medium-Sized Pot with a Heavy Bottom
a Colander

Ingredients

7 or 8 Organic Parsnips, unpeeled, tops and tails trimmed off: Small and medium-sized parsnips are best for roasting whole.
2 Tablespoons of Salted Butter (28 g), plus some to butter the baking dish
a Splash of Imported French Brandy
Coarse-Ground Black Pepper

Making the Parsnips

Gas or Convection Oven: thefoodlessprocessed uses a gas oven. The conversions from Fahrenheit to Celsius do not attempt to adjust for differences between baking in a gas or convection oven. I have no experience using a convection oven, and leave adjustments to the better judgement of you who do have.

Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C).
Place the parsnips in the pot and add water to cover them.
Bring the water to a steady, medium boil and cook the parsnips until they are just tender enough to pierce with a knife. For small and medium-sized parsnips this will probably take around 15 or 20 minutes.
Drain the parsnips in the colander and arrange them in the buttered baking dish.
Cut the 2 tablespoons (28 g) of butter into small pieces and scatter them over the parsnips.
Splash a bit of brandy over them and sprinkle them liberally with coarse black pepper.
Roast the parsnips on the middle rack of the oven until they are golden…probably for about 15 – 20 minutes.

thefoodlessprocessed