Honey butter carrots and parsnips (2024)

FAQs

Should you parboil parsnips and carrots before roasting? ›

If you try to roast them through in the oven 100% of the way, you end up with shriveled, wrinkled remains. Instead, I find it's much better to par-cook them in salted water, since they'll tenderize without shrinking. This step can be done in advance.

Parboil the parsnips in boiling salted water for 10 minutes, then drain well. Pick the thyme leaves. Toss the parsnips with the honey, thyme, a pinch of sea salt and black pepper, 10g of the butter and 2 tablespoons of oil. Tip into a roasting tray and arrange in one layer, then roast for 40 minutes, or until golden.

Root vegetables store best in the refrigerator. Here are some more tips for keeping them longer.

Young, small parsnips don't really need peeling – just scrub clean and serve whole. Older parsnips should be peeled very thinly with a peeler or sharp knife, then chopped into evenly sized chunks. If the central core is very fibrous, this should be cut away.

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the parsnips and simmer for 10–12 minutes until tender.

However, if parsnips have been allowed to grow too big or remain too long in storage, they tend to get woodier and bitter. Thus, it is recommended that larger parsnips be peeled and that the “woody” core in the middle be cut out before preparing.

So make sure that the parsnip pieces aren't wet going into the oven, or they will take longer to brown. Dry thoroughly before cutting. Toss in a mixing bowl, not on the sheet pan – Sometimes I see on cooking shows that they'll toss roasted vegetables in the oil, salt, and pepper on the sheet pan instead of a bowl.

What sets parsnips apart is their low-calorie content and high fiber, making them an excellent alternative to starchy vegetables like potatoes. In fact, for two centuries, parsnips were the primary source of dietary starch in the US before potatoes took over.

While it's fun to use old standbys in more interesting ways (like roasted parsnips with pistachio and lemon), it's important to eat root vegetables judiciously. "They are so high in carbohydrates that they are more like grains than greens.

Should you boil carrots before roasting? ›

Undercook them, and the texture is tough and dense. Overcook them, and they're dry and wrinkled. The secret is to soften the carrots slightly by boiling them briefly before roasting. The texture will be firm-tender with just the right amount of caramelization on the outside.

Prep your veg the night before

Peel potatoes, carrots, parsnips and any other veg you're having and leave them in pans of cold water overnight. This will save you a lot of faff and additional mess on Christmas morning.

Put your vegetables on a tray lined with baking paper and freeze uncovered, making sure they're not touching for at least 1 hour (this stops them from sticking together). Once they're hard, transfer into a freezer container and freeze for up to 3 months.

A good way of storing parsnips for winter is in boxes. Lift the parsnips and do not remove the soil – washing the roots will impair their storage life. Lay the roots out in boxes, making sure they are not touching and then cover with layers of sand and soil. Put this box in a cool dry location at 0 to 1 °C.

First, after peeling and halving any large ones, you need to partially cook your vegetables in salted boiling water. This is known as 'par-cooking'. This technique, combined with tossing in flavoured oil and roasting until delicious and crisp, is just about the same for any root vegetables.

Peel the carrots and parsnips and cut each in half lengthways, then half again widthways, if large. Drop into a large pan of boiling salted water and cook for about 3-4 minutes.

Peeled and pared parsnips will turn dark when exposed to the air, so it's important to cook them right away, or hold them in water with a bit of lemon juice added. Parsnips are best when they are roasted in the oven, although many like them steamed and mashed like potatoes.

Carrots are harder than parsnips and take longer to cook. To make sure your parsnips don't go mushy while you wait for your carrots to tenderize you have a few options.