Too tasty to be exclusively an annual treat among trimmings at Christmas dinners, parsnips can be enjoyed in a variety of dishes for their sweet flavour and meltingly soft texture. Delicious roasted with a caramelised honey glaze, these root vegetables can also be baked, boiled, grilled and fried, and used in comforting casseroles and soups. High in fibre, this creamy-coloured vegetable is also rich in vitamins, particularly potassium, antioxidants and minerals.
How to make roast parsnip and potato cake
Ingredients
Serves 4
1.2kg parsnips
2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing
600g potatoes
½ red onion, peeled and very finely sliced
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp chopped fresh sage
1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary, plus 1 sprig and 1 sprig to garnish
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp cornflour
500ml chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp cranberry sauce
sea salt and black pepper
sausages, to serve
20cm round cake tin
Method
Grease the cake tin with oil. Trim, then cut the parsnips lengthways into quarters. Chop the potatoes into 4cm chunks. Place both in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 mins. Drain, then coat the parsnips and potatoes with the olive oil.
Season the parsnips and potatoes with sea salt and black pepper, then mix in the red onion, honey, sage and chopped rosemary. Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin and push down the ingredients to fit. Chill the parsnip and potato cake for 1 hr.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6. Bake the vegetable cake for 55 mins-1 hr until golden and crispy.
In the meantime, to make the gravy, melt the butter in a large saucepan and mix in the cornflour. Cook, stirring, for 1 min, then stir in the stock gradually. Add the bay leaf, sprig of rosemary and the cranberry sauce, and bring to the boil, then simmer for 5 mins until thickened. Season with the pepper.
Allow the cake to cool for 5 mins out of the oven, then turn it out of the tin onto a serving plate. Garnish with the extra rosemary sprig and serve with the sausages and gravy.
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Liz O’Keefe is a professional chef, trained journalist, and the home economist at LandScape magazine. She has written several cookbooks, including the Gourmand award-winning The Mushroom Cookbook. A respected voice in the UK food scene, she regularly judges prestigious food awards and is a member of The Guild of Food Writers. Follow her on Instagram @ecjokeefe