Parsnip Purée

Mashed potatoes are great, but parsnip purée can be even better, especially when root vegetables are in farmer’s markets. Flavor-wise, parsnips are earthy and buttery and rich, and they go great with beef, pork, fish or roasted chicken. If I make them by hand with a potato masher, they can be a little stringy with fibers, which is kind of rustic. If I want a finer purée, I’ll use my food processor and puree the parsnips till they’re silky smooth.

Either way, a little goes a long way: a big heaping chef’s spoonful is plenty for a serving. This receipe makes 6-8 small portions.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Equipment
A vegetable peeler
A big knife
A soup pot with a lid
A strainer/colander
A wooden spoon
A food processor
A potato masher or ricer

Ingredients
2 pounds parsnips (about 4 medium parsnips)
1 stick (4 oz. salt free butter), cut into 1 tablespoon “nubs”
2 cloves garlic
¼- ½ cup heavy cream (natural, not ultra-pasteurized, real cream please)
Kosher salt
Fresh ground white pepper

The Procedure

1) Peel the parsnips and chop into chunks. Cut away the core of the thickest parts; they are a little too stringy.

2) Put the chunks and the garlic cloves into the soup pot, cover by 1 inch with water and add a good punch or two of salt. Bring the parsnips to a boil, partially cover and simmer on low heat 15-20 minutes until the parsnips are very tender.

3) Drain in a colander and return the parsnips to the pot. Dry them out over medium heat until the bottom of the pan is dry, about 1 minute.

At this point I do one of two things:

A. Add butter and cream in two or three additions, season with salt and white pepper and mash the parsnips by hand with a potato masher. Dot with a nub of butter and hold them warm over low heat till ready to serve.

B. Purée the parsnips in a food processor. Add the butter and cream to the work bowl a little at a time until I get a really nice, smooth consistency (you may not need all the cream). Return the mixture to the pot, adjust the seasoning, dot with a nub of butter and hold them warm over low heat until ready to serve.

Chef Willie’s Note

Parsnip purée – either rustic or in a super-fine purée – make a delicious root vegetable side dish perfect for a roast, a braised dish, fish steaks - whatever. Even good for breakfast - with eggs or an omelet and good bacon and toast! Better than potatoes? You decide.